One Summer's Day
by AnimeSiren
Summary: One Summer's Day Naruto meets a man who brings secrets and riddles with him. Konohakagure will be tested in a way that it's never been tested before, and the leaves may burn. Honor is Ninja code, and it must be upheld. Minato, Naruto, Kakairu. REVISED.
1. Chapter 1

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter One**

_Enjoy_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters represented in this story.**_

_**This is a story that I initially thought to put a lot of work into, and as I go back and edit some of the chapters as I go I also look to make it appeal to you in the way that the plot idea first appealed to me. I truly hope you enjoy this story, and I hope that you give it a chance to delight you.**_

**X-_X-_X**

It was a truly bright and sunny day that met the village of Konoha that summer's day. The village was alight with happiness and an energy that was reminiscent of the sun itself. There was one citizen though, a ninja of irrepressible talent, that was not enjoying the day, one ninja that was observing the happy emotions of the day, but unable to thrust himself into it.

The promising Uzumaki Naruto was walking without a purpose. He would wind down the streets, not looking at anything with real interest, eyes focused on the sky more than anything else. He made his way past one village member after the other, some eyeing him with their usual disdain, but the vast majority of them not even noticing his presence.

Cell seven, what remained of it, didn't have any training for that day, which meant no missions, and for some reason Naruto didn't want to train on his own. He had already eaten a good portion of ramen, so much so that he actually began to get bored as he sat at the ramen stand; this was why he was on his walk. His legs were itching with a nervous energy that was begging to get scratched.

He felt like there was something that needed to happen.

Naruto just sighed and shoved his hands down in his pockets, he couldn't even bother Iruka-sensei as he was teaching at the academy, and he didn't want to go bug the Hokage for fear of whatever mundane task she would assign him to get him out of her hair.

So he was walking, simply walking. And mainly out of habit nonetheless, letting his feet take him where they willed. His eyes slid over the sights, not quite making his mind focus on any of the drifting objects.

After more time spent with his thoughts than he meant to spend he realized that his feet had drifted him further than he had thought possible. His mind had been forcefully submerged in thoughts that weren't very appropriate for the sunny weather.

He ended up at the tributary stone, a shining reminder of the end that was met for all those ninja that had been killed in action, in the defense of their village. Their names were epitaphs of pride.

He remembered the pain that Kakashi-sensei's voice had emitted that first day of training, as he spoke of his best friends and the fact that their names were on this rock. If he knew now what he knew three years ago, when Kakashi-sensei had first spoken those words, he was certain that he would have heeded them more.

Naruto bent forward to take a closer look at the small monument, all the minute names that were on there, he wondered if anyone really remembered the individual stories behind the names.

Sure the people that had family or friends on the stone would forever remember the mission that took their loved ones, but what about all the other ninja that were on it, were they forgotten? Were the ninja that had been low ranked support, a minor tally on a statistic been remembered?

A slight sparkle made Naruto notice something, slightly in the right center of the stone was a name that had the palest of gold outlining their name.

_YONDAIME_ the stone proudly depicted. It's gold filigree draping lazily along the symbols.

Naruto sighed, everyone knew him of course. Everyone knew what had caused his death, and everyone knew the gritty details behind it, even if they weren't allowed to speak of it.

That was the one thing that it took for Naruto to sink back into a slight depression, a slight reminder of why the general populace hated and shunned him. In a way Naruto wished that he had the ability to turn back time, to make Yondaime choose some other infant to damn, he must not have been the only infant born that day, why couldn't he have chosen another?

What made him appealing to Yondaime?

All the what ifs made Naruto's head swim, distracting him so much that he hadn't even heard another person approach. He hadn't felt their chakra, hadn't felt the air stir with their presence, and he hadn't even felt their eyes on him.

It was almost as if the other person just appeared.

"Yo!"

"Gahh!" exclaimed Naruto, jumping into the air and swinging around. Who had managed to sneak up on him?

The man standing before him was—odd, for lack of a better fitting term. He had spiky blond hair that managed to fall all over the place, and sky blue eyes that reflected the amusement that his grinning mouth portrayed. He was dressed in an outfit reminiscent of ANBU but not quite so, for instance, he didn't have a mask.

"What do you want?" said Naruto rather rudely; he was on edge, and not just from this unknown man's sudden appearance. Naruto narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Nothing really, I was just wondering what a person was doing in front of this solemn lump rather than having some fun with his friends?" The mysterious man put his hands on his hips and smiled down at Naruto, who was still vaguely crouching in a defensive posture.

"Why would you care?" Naruto said, rudely again. He eyed the man up and down, running a hand across his chin. This man had an odd air about him, as if something was wrong. The way his eyes were clouded was slightly alarming; the eccentricities that he gave off seemed sluggish, like the man was lethargic for some reason.

"I don't," said this person, but the words fell of his tongue oddly, syllable by syllable. "But it does seem to be a waste of a perfectly good day, that's all."

"You act like Kakashi-sensei," said Naruto simply, opening his mouth to buy time, this dude was weird; Naruto was actually wondering if he should try to sneak away. He did really remind him of Kakashi-sensei, though; they both carried themselves in the same seemingly indolent manner.

"Kakashi-sensei? Really? Who would have thought it, is he your teacher?" the blond haired man leaned forward still smiling obnoxiously, though his eyes held a seriousness. The guy chuckled a bit, his eyes squinting closed.

"Ah…yeah," said Naruto. Though for a moment he considered the fact that this was a total stranger that was being nice to him, so in reflection he decided to add more information. "He's my Jonin instructor; I'm a genin, still, cell seven."

"Really? History does have a way of repeating itself doesn't it?" The man's smile was broad but his eyes were wide and flickering, they darted all over the place and it seemed as if the man was having issues staying on solid ground.

"What d'ya mean?" said Naruto, scratching his head vaguely, this guy was _really_ confusing. He wasn't in the mood to get involved in an altercation with some retired ninja on a bad jutsu buzz.

"Why the fact that Kakashi himself was on cell seven!" The man broke his smile into a triumphant grin. He leaned forward as if he were some sort of teacher lecturing Naruto on the merits of a good battle plan. He even dared to reach forward and poke a finger into Naruto's chest.

"Really?" it was Naruto's turn to be surprised. He hadn't known that about his longtime sensei. He paused to look down at the blonde's finger, and then took a measured step back, knocking the guy's hand away

"Of course! Doesn't your teacher share anything with you?" he replied laughing. He swatted his hand through the air as if he expected the answer to be that the young man was acting purposefully dense.

"Nope," said Naruto brazenly, this caused the other man to stop laughing, and give Naruto a questioning look.

"Well, why not?" He replied, looking startled. "He's famous isn't he, by now, some kind or great hero or something?"

Naruto looked at the man oddly, he supposed he was a hero, but honestly Naruto just thought of him as a pervert. He was lazy, and yeah he was strong, but still…it was _Kakashi-sensei_.

"I don't know, I think it's so sad for him, he never opens up about himself." Naruto shrugged, his posture relaxing more.

"Yes" replied the man, his eyes losing their shine. "I expect it would be."

"Huh?" said Naruto vaguely. He scratched the back of his head, his eyes leaping over to run themselves unwillingly over the tribute stone.

"I'm Arashi by the way!" said the man at once, returning back to his jubilant exterior. His emotions and behavior seemed erratic. It was if something was trying to stall that man's thinking.

"Uzumaki Naruto," replied Naruto, waiting for any tell tale signs of hatred to appear on the other man face. He wasn't going to bow to the man in polite greeting; he didn't want to leave an opening if the man felt inclined to attack him in some way.

"What's wrong?" said Arashi peering into Naruto's face. "You have the most peculiar look on your face."

"You don't know me?" asked Naruto hesitantly. He didn't mean for any particular emotion to leak into the surprised question, if anything he sounded almost dispassionate about it. "No long standing hate you want to rant about?"

"No! Why would I?" He said, this time he looked honestly confused.

"Well…everyone hates me." Naruto figured that a simple statement would be easiest to sum it up, even though it sounded almost pitying. He figured the guy might need him to speak in little sentences, the way he was acting.

"They don't treat you like a hero?" Arashi questioned back, his feet slipped on the grass, even though there was nothing to cause him to stumble.

"No, why would they?" replied Naruto, this Arashi character must not be from around here, and why would they think that the towns people would treat him like a hero?

"Well, doesn't Kakashi do something about it?" he said, a slightly fierce look was coming onto his face.

"What does Kakashi-sensei have to do with anything?" asked Naruto, and then continued "And you're not around here are you?"

"Nothing, I guess," said Arashi looking rather wispily up to the clouds for a moment. "And you're right I'm not from around here, at least I haven't been here in a very long time."

"So where are you from?" asked Naruto, he put his hands behind his head, content to get off the subject of his supposed heroism. He wasn't going to begrudge the guy, if the man had a few screws loose than that was his problem.

"Konoha," replied Arashi.

"Eh?" said Naruto. 'Back to the confusion,' he thought to himself.

Arashi looked down from the sky and directly into Naruto's eyes. He titled his head to the side, his mouth opening.

"Your father is proud."

"What!" Naruto reeled back as if he'd been physically struck, he didn't want to deal with more of this man and his past. "Who the hell are you? I don't have a father!"

Arashi simply looked at Naruto, a sad expression on his face. His eyes lost some of their shine, the clouds seeming to become darker.

Naruto was fuming however. This man just tried to assume that he knew him? He just decided to make assumptions? Naruto didn't know if that man called 'Arashi' realized just how much that one sentence could hurt him. How much that one sentence dug at his inside.

Because Naruto knew he would never have a father to be proud of him, at least not a real one.

"I apologize," said Arashi, and it seemed as if he was offering an apology for something else.

"It's okay," said Naruto, he was feeling a little guilty at making such a sad expression take over the man before him. "I have Iruka-sensei, he's taken care of me like a father does a lot and then there's Kakashi-sensei too, I guess"

"Really?" a mischievous twinkle appeared in the man's dimmed eyes after a moment of quiet contemplation. Arashi seemed to want to change the subject now "Out of the pair, who's the mother?"

Naruto put a hand on the back of his head and couldn't help but laugh at that one. Whatever response he was expecting from the man that was not it, he paused to seriously consider the man's statement "It'd have to be Iruka-sensei! I just couldn't imagine Kakahsi-sensei being a," the image broke through his mind with a laugh again "a—mother."

Naruto lost it again at the idea of Kakashi-sensei is a light spring yukata, hairy legs and all, serving tea in a demure manner, delighting in the feeling of normal endorphins taking over his previously muted brain, dissolving into a fit of chuckles as Arashi looked on, a happy smile once again on his face.

"Well real parents or no, I think they are very proud of you," he said reaching forward and touching Naruto's chin briefly. He almost paused in his arm's travel, perhaps wondering if he had the right.

"I—thanks Arashi-san," said Naruto uneasily.

"Now, now, none of that!" said Arashi waving his hand in the air. "All that formality makes me seem old!"

"If you say so," said Naruto grinning, this Arashi person wasn't too bad.

"I do say so!"

"Naruto?" a voice suddenly called from across the clearing, Naruto turned around to see who it was, his grin not quite dissolving from his face.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" he called back, immediately recognizing the figure that was now walking towards him. The hair was really something that couldn't be missed. Naruto and Sakura had mused to themselves on several occasions on how Kakashi had managed to survive that far with a head of hair that distinctive.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kakashi, eyeing him with a seemingly odd expression (though he wasn't quite sure as his mask covered his features).

"I'm talking with…" but Naruto drifted off, he had turned slightly to begin to introduce Arashi to Kakashi-sensei, but there was no one there."No one…I guess."

Kakashi looked at him steadily for a minute before speaking. He weaved his way over to the stone, his posture in its forcefully relaxed stance.

"You should run along now, Naruto, the Academy's just gotten out and Iruka-sensei is looking for you," he tilted his head slightly as he spoke, studying his student.

"Okay!" said Naruto "Hey! How'd you know Iruka-sensei was looking for me?"

"Oh you know, I was just talking advantage of- I mean I just ran into him," Kakashi said and Naruto could tell that he was either grinning or smiling broadly by the happy 'U' shape his eye was making.

"Okay…" said Naruto once more, suddenly getting a flash of Kakashi in an apron that said 'Worlds Greatest Mom' on it.

Kakashi watched in silent wonder as Naruto dashed out of the clearing, laughing his head off as he went. He took a moment to breathe in the image of student embroiled in happy abandon, it was nice.

He looked down towards the stone, or more specifically the golden embellished name to the right middle.

"Are you playing games again sensei?"

**X-_X-_X**

**I hope you liked it and please review!**

**-AnimeSiren**


	2. Chapter 2

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Two**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

It was for an entire week that Kakashi was able to avoid giving that small incident any real thought, but eventually he found himself speculating about it. It was during training and it was because he had noticed that Naruto was acting especially happy.

He had been acting that way for a week now, ever since Kakashi had found him at the tribute stone. This wasn't a negative thing for Kakashi, after all it was always a small treat to see happiness and contenting feelings sparkle in his student's eyes, it was just something that was easy to note.

He still bit out and acted out, still planned to rescue Sasuke, and he still doted on Sakura, but he seemed to be doing it with a renewed vigor. He had a different sparkle in his eyes, and he grinned almost as ecstatically as Lee and Gai. He barely batted an eye when Sai insulted his manhood.

It was another of Konoha's sunny days and he was relaxing amiably on the branch of the tree that was directly over the clearing he had assigned his team to train in that day. His usual perch occupied he also continued to explore his other usual activities.

It was such a fine day that he was relaxing nicely, sitting back and reading his porn while half heartedly watching his students beat the daylights out of each other. He flipped a page and halfheartedly mused whether the kids would enjoy an afternoon trying to get out of a genjutsu.

It was almost noon and they had been training only for little under an hour, as Kakashi had shown up late again…but of course it wasn't his fault that a tree had fallen in his path and he had to take a detour…a long detour…and fight off a bunch of dogs. Or wolves? Was it wolves? Ah, not that it mattered anymore.

He knew Naruto would be screaming for lunch soon, and a relaxation from his exuberant sparring, exactly the same way Obito used to…but Kakashi wasn't going to think of things long passed, especially on a beautiful summer's day like that particular one.

However, just like a week previously, something occurred. In usual fashion somebody appeared, their presence wasn't felt, their chakra unnoticed…

"Hmm, they're just like how we used to be, aren't they Kakashi?" said a voice from Kakashi's right. It was amused, and contained small chuckles of emotion in each word.

Kakashi had a kunai out and was prepared to attack before the man had even finished his sentence. He hadn't heard the man sneak up on him at all. _Not at all._

He lowered his kunai the next second however, it was his sensei. This was his very much long dead sensei. This was the same sensei that he had been trying unsuccessfully to forget for many, many years.

Was there an enemy threat? Someone trying to bait Kakashi with an artful genjutsu?

"Another hallucination," Kakashi grumbled and then hid his face behind away with a hand, away from his sensei's smiling face. Sometimes if he closed his eyes hard enough his hallucinations managed to fade away, back down to the ground they were buried in.

"Boy you'll find I am no hallucination, and if you don't choose to believe me this moment than it'll be two hundred laps around Konoha," The man said, with a stern air, before he grinned. "And I've heard it's gotten even bigger since I left."

Kakashi still refused to move his hands for a moment however, his Sharingan pulsated painfully behind his hitae ate. It certainly sounded like how his sensei used to sound, the way that he used to joke and punish at exactly the same time, but he had believed that before, and gotten caught in the traps of his own mind.

"And when you talk to me use some respect, I am your sensei after all!" Kakashi looked at the man after he said this; _his_ sensei always said this line. His hallucinations had never strayed this far before, could it be true, was it possible? Was this man his sensei?

"How?" Kakashi asked. He was hesitant to do so, as a Sharingan user he knew just how much pain his mind could put him through. He didn't want that pain now, especially not in front of his students.

"I don't have a clue!" said Arashi cheerfully, grinning at him. The man waved jauntily at Kakashi, bouncing the branch a little in amusement.

Kakashi made a choice within his head. If it quacks like a dug, smells like a duck, and has the same exact chakra signature as a duck then in must be a duck right? His Sharingan said this was his sensei.

"Were you really here the other day? Was it you that Naruto was talking to at the Tribute Stone?" Kakashi asked the man sitting neatly next to him. He was balancing on the branch as if he came there every day for a quiet cloud watching session.

"Hai," he turned and then looked downwards at Kakashi's students. It was one of the rare days where they practiced as a team again, and Sakura and Naruto were sparing, and it actually looked like Naruto was…losing.

"Why did you though, how did you?" Kakashi asked again, pressing for answers. He was a student again and this was his sensei. There was blood behind them, Obito's and Rin's, they were connected by it.

"But don't they really remind you of us?" Arashi said totally skipping Kakashi's question and acting like they hadn't had that part of their conversation at all.

"Yes," said Kakashi honestly. He was willing to give his sensei all the answers he could, the kunai of guilt within his soul allowed him to do so.

"You had the one kid, Sasuke," Kakashi took in a small breath when Arashi said this, he knew about Sasuke as well? "He was just like you, brooding, couldn't stand another member of the group being late. All you used to think about was training, training, training, and same as him. It's odd really he and Obito being Uchiha's and all, you'd think he'd be more like Obito."

While Kakashi had connected the similarities a long time ago, hearing them come from his dead sensei on a cloudless day like this had a different kind of reaction on him.

"I don't really care about the late thing nowadays," said Kakashi offhandedly looking at his sensei. This wasn't a genjutsu, the Yondaime's chakra signature was reverberating around them normally, and no enemy would have loitered in henge this long. Kakashi struggled to maintain even breathing.

"Indeed," was the response he earned "And you even use some of Obito's excuses from when he was late."

"Tribute to Obito," murmured Kakashi distractedly, all of this was making him think about things that he had buried for almost twenty years.

"Well that's a sorry excuse," said Arashi somewhat shrilly "I'm sure he feels flattered and all but come now, you're a sensei! Be on time to train your genin."

Kakashi sighed internally. His sensei was the only one who could make him feel guilty and humiliated all in the same sentence.

"Naruto of course is just like Obito," Arashi went on. "Vying for sensei's praise and wanting to beat the more popular male of the group, wanting the kunoichi's attention."

Kakashi agreed of course, even with Sasuke not here anymore he still wanted for Kakashi's praise and still tried to beat the Sasuke that existed in his mind.

"Sakura is like Rin in every shape and form," Arashi seemed to be trying to relay a message to Kakashi as he went on. "Had a crush on the genius while the other male vied for her attention. A medic Nin, and by Kami the hairstyle is even the same."

Kakashi tried to think of something to say in response, as Arashi seemed to be waiting to hear something in return. His sensei had always been like this, look underneath the underneath, then and bring me the answer to my statement.

"You can credit the hairstyle to Yamanaka Ino," said Kakashi in a lame attempt to say something.

"Would that be the daughter or son of Inoichi by chance?" asked Arashi, a deep look on his face. Shadows crossed his eyes even on this sunny day.

"Daughter of," said Kakashi.

"I thought so," sighed Arashi "They do have a way of messing with things, don't they?"

"Sensei?"

"Yamanaka's that is," Arashi leaned to the side a bit resting against the tree trunk and crossing his arms, he still watched fixedly the sparing going on in the clearing below them.

Kakashi was seriously striving to say something at this point, he had never been uncomfortable in the presence of his sensei and wasn't about to start now. "Why are you wearing an ANBU uniform?"

Arashi laughed right out loud. "Why Kakashi I never knew you cared so much for attire!"

Kakashi had the grace to blush a tad bit, not that you could see it, him wearing his facemask and all. His sensei was a man of unimportant things, until you took the time to see the importance of the things.

"I decided to wear it, I haven't worn anything like this in a lifetime," literally.

Kakashi decided that they could deal with the silence at least for a few moments. He was uncertain how to deal with his latest phenomenon, and he was still trying to decide whether he was in a downward spiral of hallucination, or whether he was still a member of reality. He felt like a genin.

It was Arashi that broke their silence though. "Why didn't you help Naruto?" Arashi's voice was hushed now, cracked and maimed, hurt and tormented, and when Kakashi looked at him he noticed that his sensei's eyes were unnervingly clear.

Kakashi was thrown off track by Arashi's question. "When?" He asked.

"His lifetime," replied Arashi, moving back away form the trunk and sitting straight again.

Kakashi knew what he referred to now. The lifetime of friendless childhood experiences and whispered insults.

"Sandaime banned it," he said simply first. "No one was to speak about, and I think he thought there'd be no trouble that way. I welcomed it."

"Explain more."

"When Sandaime-sama banned the discussion of Naruto I was able to put it out of my mind myself. I only really remembered him, and the pain, when he was put on my genin cell by Iruka-sensei, his academy teacher."

"Ah! So that is the mother hen to our dear Naruto!" Arashi exclaimed.

Kakashi's stormy grey eye shifted up in amusement. With Arashi looking at him with that smile and the thought of his dear dolphin dressed up as a kunoichi…he really wanted to laugh.

"Yes," Kakashi managed at last. "He's the only one Naruto had for a very long time. They are the same, actually."

"How so?"

"Well for one, they're both addicted to ramen…"

Arashi had to let out a barking laugh at that, addicted to ramen he could understand!

"Well as a teacher I'm sure he doesn't read porn in front of children now does he?" Arashi had a lot of fun watching the slightest twinge of pink alight Kakashi's upper cheeks.

"Actually he's rather violent about it," said Kakashi "He's a very anti-porn person."

This made Arashi howl even louder the laughter spilling from his mouth. It appeared his student had had a first hand account with this teacher and his "anti-porn" acts. Arashi didn't realize that his mad laughter was going to attract the attention of a couple of training students.

Naruto spotted Arashi sitting on the tree branch with Kakashi and let out an excited whoop. This meant he got a little deterred from the fight and ended up getting walloped by Sakura…

After picking himself up from the ground he ran excitedly over to the base of the tree and exclaimed loudly: "Arashi you're here! What are you doing here? Do you know Kakashi-sensei?"

Arashi looked down at the excited boy and smiled. "That I do! I do know Kakashi-bo!"

'Bo?' Naruto laughed to himself. 'I've never heard anyone refer to him as little before, I wonder how he knows Kakashi-sensei?'

"Naruto!" said Sakura, catching her breath as she reached him "Who are you talking to?"

"Ah, come on Sakura!" said Naruto "Are you telling me you can't see Arashi sittin' up there next to Kakashi-sensei? Do you need glasses or something?"

"I can see quite fine Naruto!" said Sakura angrily "And I can see quite distinctly that there's no one sitting next to Kakashi-sensei!"

While the students small tirade was going on Kakashi was looking at Arashi questioningly.

"Oh don't worry!" said Arashi deviously as he looked over at Kakashi "They'll be able to see me soon, my power is returning."

"Power..?" Drifted off Kakashi as Arashi disappeared from right in front of him.

"Hey Ara- where'd he go?" Naruto exclaimed looking dumbfounded like up from the ground. "Damnit, that guy really has more corny in him than Gai-sensei."

"Naruto there isn't any Arashi up on that branch!"

"There is to!"

"Is not!"

"Err! Whatever! Hey Kakashi-sensei you saw Arashi right?"

Kakashi looked down at the angered and confused children twenty feet below him and did the only thing he could do, the only logical thing that came to his brain:

"Training's done for today."

This did the desired thing and distracted Naruto and made Sakura huff off.

"WHAT! That's not fair! You came late for training today and it's just barely lunch time already, that's only like an hour!"

Kakashi sighed and looked down at Naruto. At blue eyes and blond hair that was so similar.

"I'll treat you to Ichiraku ramen but only if you get there before me," Kakashi watched, never ceasing to be amazed, as Naruto sped off into the forest heading full throttle towards the ramen stand.

'I wonder if I'll have to go to the Hokage with this?' He leapt easily from the branch; his Icha Icha stored away in his weapons pouch, and then disappeared in an easy flurry of leaves. Naruto saw his sensei. Kakashi was definitely _not_ hallucinating.

**X-_X-_X**

_**This chapter has been edited, and some of the more clichéd and naïve parts remain, they're surprisingly crucial to the rest of the story. This chapter is rather short as well.**_

_**I do hope if you're reading that you enjoy this so far. Things are certainly going to heat up in the future.**_

_**Thanks!**_

_**AnimSiren**_


	3. Chapter 3

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Three**

_Enjoy._

X-_X-_X

Kakashi's apartment wasn't what anyone would guess it to be. Most would assume that either it was deathly sparse and devoid of any sign of life or it was full to the top with porn. His apartment was in fact neither.

Kakashi's apartment was modern, and it reflected a lonely life. A clean sink, the few dishes drying in a small dish drainer to the side, a small coffee table with only one small sofa, and a small lonely bookcase across from that. His books were the only bright color in the room as it was decorated in docile colors of tan and sage, as if he had attempted to make it homier. All in all it was simply a lonely atmosphere.

He sighed and took his customary seat on the sofa, his cup of tea, steaming, sat on the coffee table, wafting sweet jasmine fumes up to the man who was considered most deadly. He was expecting a visitor but not until somewhat later on, now was simply his time to meditate, to view his own visions of the world in a clearer sense.

The most apparent thing on his mind was the return of his sensei: Arashi. Or rather Arashi was the name he had told people to call him. He hid his true name even years before he became the legendary Hokage, greatest of the legends.

His sensei was a remarkable man, with an even more remarkable son. However he was most definitely and irreversibly dead. Kakashi actually felt he should be panicking even more that he was, or rather at least acting the slightest bit anxious. Any normal, relatively sane ninja would have reported the reappearance of a long dead village hero to the Hokage immediately.

Arashi would be branded an impersonator, and the ninja of the village would be on full duty and alert until he was caught. However Kakashi was most certain that the man that appeared to him, and to Naruto, was not an impersonator. The aura and chakra he carried with him was too familiar, it had the same old flair, the same dormant power.

It was most definitely Yondaime, greatest of the Hokage.

But his statement didn't make sense. "My power is returning," was something that Yondaime would have most definitely said. However much Yondaime loved to talk in riddles he hated not giving the answer before he left, he always had to make sure that the brilliance of his clues and riddles were known. It was just Yondaime's way.

He sipped his tea, the sweet smell made it to his nose, all too used to the smell of blood, and relaxed him just the tiniest bit more.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Kakashi didn't flinch, didn't wince, and in fact seemed to take little notice of the door. However he was expecting a visitor, though it was far too soon for them to be arriving.

He took out a kunai.

Whoever was at his door, rapping and tapping, they didn't have any cohesive pattern, and they seemed to be simply raw chakra. It was most definitely not the person he was expecting.

His door opened easy, and the well-oiled hinges made not a single sound. His traps and protections thrived off his chakra, but deactivated after his hand touched the door casing.

The door was made of good material, not the best, but monotonous apartment buildings, one of the hundreds in the cities, didn't exactly require fantastic molding. The sun did glint off it in a curious way; and that was the only thing it glinted off. There was not a single person standing at his door.

He raised his kunai, prepared for an ambush, when a silver wrought kunai made its presence known against his throat.

Kakashi's eyes widened. "Silly deshi," said a voice "The attack always comes from home."

Kakashi leaped backwards over the man's head, dislodging the silver kunai and effectively retuning to the inside of his home, crouching in a defensive position. It was Arashi, the sensei that had trained him.

Definitely not the guest he had been waiting for.

He stood up from his position and was surprised when a shock of agitation and annoyance shot through him. "What's the answer to the riddle?" he demanded.

"Riddle," Arashi said, "What in all the world makes you think this is a riddle?"

"What is your purpose?" said Kakashi in a low tone. Gather information, act, report to your superior, and act…._act_ he shouted inside his own head, _make an action!_

"My purpose?" Arashi smiled softly, a smile different from the one most people were used to seeing on his face. "My student you have grown. You would not act this way had it been thirteen years ago, arguing with Obito."

"Don't," began Kakashi, his arm giving a nervous jerk.

"Perhaps that's one of my purposes," commented Arashi, he spun once, becoming a whirl of light that swung the door closed.

"What purpose," groused Kakashi.

"I am going to live again," said Arashi, shrugging his shoulders as if that news wasn't necessarily important "In one form or another. But the only reason this is to be is because I am strong enough to change destiny."

"Is that what you're doing?" asked Kakashi "Are you changing my destiny, sensei?"

"Of course," he smirked "I am a meddlesome fool after all. Though don't think you're the only one I see."

"How do you purpose to change it?" asked Kakashi, he eyed his old teacher with interest, a very defensive interest. _The Hokage needs to know_ his mind lectured him.

"Your destiny is not the only that I'm changing," he replied, "You have an overwhelming sense of self guilt."

"What ninja doesn't?" asked Kakashi rhetorically. His voice was less neutral than he'd intended.

"Your guilt however," said Arashi, stepping forward towards Kakashi "Is preventing you from taking the natural path your life is needing to take."

"Maa, maa, sensei," said Kakashi standing straighter as his sensei lightly stood directly before him. "You're sounding somewhat…superstitious."

"It's time to talk, Kakashi-kun," Arashi said "How do you think I am here? What do you think I went through to get here? Why do you think I am allowed to remain here? To maybe live once more?"

"You're allowed to live by changing someone's fate?" Kakashi asked dubiously, he once more doubted himself for not having gone to the present Hokage yet. "I suspect that it's more some sort of sinister jutsu instead."

Arashi smiled and poked Kakashi lightly in the forehead. "I will be granted life once more if I can correct the lives I ruined, the lives that deviated from the predestined choices of their pioneers. At least, this is what I think."

"My life?" asked Kakashi startled. A slight annoyance flashed through him. "You're bidding for life by changing mine? That's what you think you have to do?"

"No," said Arashi, he flashed that damnable smile. The one someone quite a bit younger also shared, the smile that had the ability to disarm and place trust into someone within moments. "I'm going to change the life of Umino Iruka."

Kakashi's eye flashed.

"And," Kakashi took a breath "What are you intending to do our dear and beloved academy sensei?"

"You've failed to give him something very important," said Arashi. Throughout their whole conversation Arashi had been steadily circling the apartment, pacing around Kakashi then to one place and then to another.

"I would give him anything," said Kakashi hoarsely. "Except the loyalty of my village."

"Ah but you haven't given him the most important thing," said Arashi with perfect eighteenth century coyness.

"I care for him," said Kakashi in a somewhat wry tone. "So if you're going to suggest I haven't given him my heart or my mind then you're wrong."

"Of course you _love_ him," said Arashi "But you don't trust him."

Arashi chuckled at Kakashi's silence.

"And here my student our lecture begins," Arashi said his arms went wide, and his eyes went even wider "Now let's talk about your guilt."

X-_X-_X

Naruto enjoyed walking through the village most days. When the days of no training got too lonely he liked to walk through the markets on the off chance that he'd run into a friend. It was just nicer to move amongst the bustling crowds. Since Sasuke had left and since he no longer trained with the pervy sage his life was unusually quiet.

Konoha was first and foremost a ninja village, so therefore the village was built for the benefit of ninjas. All the roads of Konoha lead to the Hokage tower and behind it the great monolith of Hokage heads. Naturally at the end of the market Naruto ended up at the mountain of Hokage's.

Everyday he'd look at the mountain and he's pledge to surpass the fourth, and today was no different. It was an errant thought, but an important thought to him nonetheless.

He looked up at the mountain feeling his pledge once more, and then he looked back down at the path he was heading.

Then Naruto did a double take.

'The fourth,' he thought 'Why do I feel so well connected with him now of all times. Why does he look so…life like?"

X-_X-_X

Kakashi was doubled over with his head in his knees, barely managing to remain sitting on his sofa. His hands clenching his head in near agony he was shaking uncontrollably. The copy ninja was beyond vulnerable at the moment, as his incoherent meandering indicated.

"Obito's death was not your fault!" yelled Arashi from across the room. His face was no longer the young and kind face of Arashi, teacher of Kakashi; it was now the indestructible visage of the Fourth Hokage. He was as deadly as he was beautiful.

"He died because of my stupidity!" Kakashi retorted harshly, nearly tearing his hair out. "If I had been a better leader, or a better teammate! He would not have died when he did! You can't deny that!"

Arashi eyed Kakashi's sweat soaked body mildly, not dropping his façade. "And you would have stopped him from dying on the next mission? Or the one after that? And the one following that one?"

Kakashi growled. This match of wills and swells of yelling had gone on for the past quarter of an hour. Arashi was pulling out all his ammo, after covering his own death they moved on to the tenderer subject of Obito's death. However Kakashi was not going to simply be subjected to those two deaths, Arashi had plans to bring on something even more painful for his pupil.

"And Rin's death?" asked Arashi taking a few harsh steps forward so he was in the struggling mans face. "Was her death the result of poor leadership?"

"Yes," moaned Kakashi. "If Obito hadn't been taken she would never have joined the ranks of medical ninja."

"Ah," sarcastically sighed Arashi "So all of this is your fault? All of this winds down to you?"

"Yes," Kakashi said hoarsely.

"And did you never think of what would have happened to Rin had Obito been saved?" Arashi replied back "For that matter did you think what would have happened to you?"

Arashi didn't expect an answer and he was proved correct when he didn't receive one.

"Rin would have joined the ranks of ANBU right along with you," said Arashi "She would have still been out there the night Kyuubi attacked, the night I died."

"But she would have been moving," argued Kakashi "Not in one place like a blatant mark!"

"Sure," said Arashi "She could have been in with the same ANBU battalions as you were. The same ones you were the only survivor of."

"She would have had more training," struggled Kakashi. He had come to terms with the mistakes of his past, why did his sensei have to attempt to change that?

Arashi didn't respond, he just looked condescendingly down at Kakashi, showing him with a look that he knew that was false.

Kakashi released a strangled cough, halfway to a sob.

"And you," said Arashi "What would have happened to you had Obito lived?"

"I don't know!" yelled Kakashi. Painful memories were flooding his mind. Training sessions, days when his teammates forced their presence on him in 'fun', days they explored the countryside with their sensei.

"You have undeniable skill," said Arashi hauntingly. "But what about those times you survived by the Kami given grace of Obito's Sharingan eye?"

"It's all because of me," Kakashi said, slipping down onto the floor in a crouch. "Every time Obito saves me I deserve to die again."

"It's not your fault!" thundered Arashi. "How can you think that those things are your fault? You give no care to the things you did as a ninja yet you regret things that have never been your fault nor were in your hands?"

"But they were!" fought back Kakashi.

"Never," quietly yelled Arashi. "You've given infinitely more to this world than you've taken out of it."

"Like what?" demanded Kakashi from a kneeling position "What have I helped in my lifetime?"

"Your unending dedication to this village," serenely replied Arashi "Your training of that genin team of yours, the love you have for that companion teacher of yours. Do you not find these things worthy things?"

"Worthy," murmured Kakashi. "Is this world worthy!"

All of a sudden it was with a flash of golden light and when Kakashi had a chance to look up it was to the sight of his old sensei holding him to the wall. A ferocious look on his eyes, there was chakra swirling everywhere.

"Never think like that," snarled Arashi "Never!"

Arashi released his hold and Kakashi slid down the wall, his head in his hands. This was a weaker state than he had ever been in, a weaker state that he had ever let himself be in. It was baffling; it made him see what, maybe, his prolonged guilt could do to him.

"Kakashi," Arashi murmured stepping back a bit. "Do you realize yet?"

Kakashi didn't answer.

"You will never, ever be like your father," Arashi smiled when Kakashi looked up. "We'll talk again, and the next time everyone will be able to hear my words clearly. Everyone will be able to trust each other."

"In peace," muttered Kakashi.

Arashi grinned, "Honor your comrades Kakashi, not in sorrow and pledge but in remembrance and sharing."

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Arashi vanished.

Kakashi threw himself from the floor and staggered, with all the grace of a defeated ninja, over to the door. Emotion from the last time he opened this door and what he found there made him hesitate just one moment. However he opened the door the next.

"Kakashi?" sputtered Iruka, nearly dropping the groceries he was carrying in his shock. "What's wrong? Have you been…crying?"

X-_X-_X

"That's it," stuttered Naruto. "That's why!"

Then he took off, exactly opposite the way he came, all in one great flash of orange, so reminiscent of years past when a yellow flash used to run through the village. He was off to seek answers, and he knew exactly where to find them.

"Kakashi-sensei," muttered Naruto. "He'll know."

But then he slowed; jumping from one rust colored rooftop to another he stopped on one just across from the academy a surprisingly thoughtful look on his face. He didn't want to mess this up after all, so maybe he should go to someone that could help him in a different way. After all how much really would Kakashi-sensei tell him?

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto quietly questioned, still slightly unsure of himself.

He looked westward; different from the direction he had been going.

"No," said Naruto determinedly, the usual expression of absolute finality on his face. "Sakura-chan will help me. Believe it!"

He leapt with all the grace of a fox from the roof to the ground, startling a couple of hens, and took off in the direction of the after noon sun. A ninja was on a mission.

X-_X-_X

"Kakashi," murmured Iruka reassuringly, running his hands up and down Kakashi's back, "What's wrong?"

Kakashi had immediately latched on to him, the groceries laying forgotten on the floor where they had been hurriedly thrust, and surprisingly he was shaking slightly.

"You know I care deeply for you right, that I love you?" Kakashi asked gripping Iruka's shoulders. He refused to ever let the word see him this vulnerable, this sincere, but he's let Iruka see him in this much truth.

Iruka looked stunned into Kakashi's face, the wet streaks and the disheveled mask, and said, equally shakily "You know you've never said that before right?"

"I mean it," said Kakashi changing his grip and grasping Iruka's hands. He loved looking into his lover's eyes, they always held the emotions that Kakashi though should always be present, and he hoped this day they would hold one more.

"I love you too," said Iruka, smiling up at Kakashi.

Kakashi was relieved to find that indeed Iruka's eyes had darkened with a new emotion, an emotion that Kakashi fully expected to explore further.

"You've changed," said Iruka leaning up and pecking Kakashi's mask. "And I think I like it."

"Good," smiled Kakashi, unrestrainedly. "Good."

He sighed in relief, and after a brief moment Iruka bent to pick up the groceries and Kakashi mischievously pulled out his Icha Icha Tactics, and began to pretend to read.

**X-_X-_X**

_**If anyone wants to take a look deeper into Yondaime and Naruto I have a story called "Platonic Ironic: A Sunset and his Legacy" that centers them.**_

_**I hope this chapter was satisfying and If it was or wasn't go ahead and drop me a review. I realize that the Kakashi-Yondaime scenes may be a little awkward or startling to you, but I think it's important for this story that we purge some of the past immediately.**_

_**Thanks very much for reading,**_

_**AnimeSiren.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Four**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"Naruto-kun?" asked Sakura, surprised, as she opened the door.

Sakura was dressed in a light yukata and seemed to have been going over medical scrolls when the knock at her door came. She had a modest apartment, one that she had moved into when she became Tsunade's assistant full time. Most usually you could find rare medical texts on loan from other countries within.

"Sakura-san," Naruto said, leaning a hand on her door way, the soft scent of jasmine wafting out of the apartment. "I think I need some help."

Sakura opened the door wider, and motioned. "Of course, come in."

Naruto nodded, and Sakura followed him into her own apartment, a little stunned by his seriousness. "Do you want some tea, Naruto?"

"No," he said with a jerky headshake. It was obvious that Sakura was in the middle of some sort of research, her eyes had a blurry look, as if she'd been reading for hours. "No, thank you."

Sakura turned her head and looked at him. "I told you I'd always be a friend there for you, and I meant it; tell me what's wrong Naruto?"

"Okay." Naruto replied somewhat breathlessly, and then added, amidst mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement, "Believe it."

X-_X-_X

"We have to go to the Hokage!" Kakashi said, standing at once, his voice was gruff, his stance just as canine as if he were standing with his ninken. "We have to go the Hokage."

"What's wrong?" asked Iruka, standing as well. He stretched lazily, not understanding the eccentric copy nin's sudden change in demeanor, though, he reflected, he _rarely_ understood the copy nin's eccentricities.

"It's," Kakashi stopped and breathed, he swayed once and stood still again, he tightened a fist, his fingerless gloves pulling tight across his palm. "I'll explain it there. Maybe. Yeah."

Iruka looked on with mild bewilderment. He knew something had to have happened before he had arrived to reduce Kakashi to that emotional state but he wasn't quite sure what it could be. Kakashi followed rule twenty-five of the ninja protocol to a 'T' most times.

"Are you sick?" he asked his silver haired comrade. Iruka put a hand on his hip and mentally restrained himself to putting a hand to the other shinobi's head, as he would have with any of his students.

"No," said Kakashi, visibly relaxing, in a way he'd only do in front of the other. "No I'm not sick, I know that. Perhaps…I should visit the Hokage in the morning."

"Okay," said Iruka soothingly, putting a hand on the other's shoulder "Whatever you want to do."

"After I visit the tribute stone," Kakashi added.

Iruka's hand stopped the subtle circles he had been tracing with his thumb. He always knew that the tribute stone was especially important to Kakashi and that he not only went there every morning, but in times of guidance as well.

The blinds shifted a bit.

"So," Kakashi's whole demeanor changed. "I got the Icha Icha movie, want to watch it?"

**X-_X-_X**

"I need your help finding some things out," Naruto said, looking at his pink haired teammate.

"What sorts of things?" asked Sakura, fully taken aback by this sudden, almost solemn, version of Naruto. If she hadn't read his chakra signature she would have thought it was someone impersonating him. She moved aside an ancient medical scroll (on loan from the Nara clan) so that she would have room to sit beside him.

"I need all the information available on Yondaime," He replied, he dropped his voice and leaned in to whisper in a conspiratorial whisper "The information that's not public."

"Naruto," Sakura said somewhat breathlessly, her eyes pulled tight in shrewd suspicion. "Hokage records are kept in the most secure of areas."

"You have clearance for most areas, Sakura-chan," Naruto protested, his eyes wide. His voice turned into an imploring whine as he added "Ne?"

"Not those areas, Naruto," Sakura shot back. "The Hokage and anyone _she_ alone gives special privilege to are the only ones allowed."

Naruto fell silent.

"If it's some sort of personal project," said Sakura, trying not to have fully rejected a friend's need for help. "Perhaps Tsunade-shishou will let you look?"

"No!" said Naruto, loudly, and hastily. "Look, Sakura-chan, I know a lot of the document specific areas from when that rat biter Mizuki had me break in, I just need your knowledge of the system to get me the rest of the way."

"It's guarded Naruto," said Sakura, her voice rising. "Kotetsu-san and Izumo-san and others still have _all _sorts of traps on the Hokage documents, for if a spy or enemy ever tried to gain admittance."

"But we _know_ those people, Sakura-chan!" Naruto stood, anxiously, his hands moving arcs through the air as he spoke. "I know we could find our way through their jutsus, you're a champ at genjutsu, and I'm-I'm strong!"

"I don't doubt that you're strong," said Sakura, in a softer tone. "But if we were to break in, to disable the dozens of jutsus and traps, it would most definitely be against the law. We'd be going _against _our country."

"Come _on_ Sakura-chan," Naruto urged. "You know we wouldn't be betraying anyone, and we'd set all the traps up when we were done, and we wouldn't take anything away with us, except the information in our heads. Who is going to suspect that _we_ broke in?"

"Why do you want to?" asked Sakura incredulously. "Why are you so set on doing this, why is it important?"

"It's just that," Naruto paused looking down; he couldn't believe he could muster up the courage to tell his teammate. "Look I'll tell you when it's over, when I know I'm right. And if I'm not then, well, we know I was just being…silly."

"_You_," began Sakura. "Want _me_ to break into _secure_ documents with the chance that you're just being _silly_?"

"Hai," said Naruto, not blinking.

Sakura was running through the possibilities in her head. The only reasons she could think of that Naruto would possibly want to know more about the Yondaime Hokage were that there was some form the Yondaime's chakra signature left that Naruto was remembering, there was some other message left in the Kyuubi by Yondaime, or Naruto simply wanted to know more about the man that had damned him to be hated by half the village.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered, looking at her sincerely. "We're friends."

"Okay," whispered Sakura back, as if ANBU black ops. were going to jump out and arrest them that moment. "I'll do it; I'll help you, Naruto."

He was her friend, a pillar of strength and inspiration, and that was enough to risk her career as a ninja. Her sensei had taught her that much.

X-_X-_X

"I was surprised Iruka-sensei had a trap set down here!" said Sakura hurriedly sliding the shoji screen door closed and sliding down the wall next to it. She seemed slightly out of breath.

"It was a damn good one!" Naruto exclaimed he was nursing a series of small cuts on his arms; it looked like he had some burn marks on his fingertips as well. "I always knew he was a prankster!"

"He does work alongside those two Hokage aides a lot," mused Sakura, she patted her hair back flat. "It was a good chance he helped set up things down here."

"Man," half moaned Naruto. "If we hadn't of been able to recognize his chakra I think we would have been toast."

"Yeah," agreed Sakura softly. Suddenly she looked up at Naruto and let a broad smile filter across her face, he looked back her questioningly.

"We made it!" she said standing, forgetting their rule breaking with the feeling of success breaking through. "I can't believe we really did it!"

"I knew we could!" said Naruto letting out a relieved laugh. "Believe it!"

The room was dark and musty, and ninja sight was the only thing that allowed them to move freely about the room. There were decorative tables everywhere, and in the middle of the room, on an ornate rug sat one lone, steel filing cabinet.

"They don't have much taste," Sakura said sweat dropping. She waved a hand through the air, as if that were going to dissipate the musty odor.

"Oh well," Naruto said, not particularly caring. He went to the center of the room immediately, laying a hand on the cabinet. "We just need Yondaime's."

Sakura joined him at his side. "It'd be the fourth drawer down," she said, pointing.

"Alright," said Naruto, slightly hushed. "Here goes."

The drawer didn't make a sound as it slid out, and neither of them considered weather there'd be traps or not. They just opened it, with a touch of ceremony.

"It's empty?" asked Naruto incredulously. "Why the hell is it empty?"

Sakura leaned down to look inside; she even ran her hand around the metallic inside. "Did someone know we were coming?"

"How could they have?" asked Naruto. He seemed very disappointed.

"Maybe it was a trap that we over looked?" she said, musing to herself. As if to reinforce this she glanced wearily around the room.

"Damnit!" Naruto snarled at himself. "I was so close!"

Sakura sighed, refraining from asking Naruto what he was so close to, and looked down, her gaze wandering behind the cabinet to explore the room. She paused and stopped looking at one of the table's that was directly behind the cabinet. It couldn't be.

"Naruto," called Sakura, not getting an answer. "They're right here!"

"Huh?" Naruto poked his head around the corner of the cabinet.

"The files on the fourth," Sakura said slowly. "Are very clearly sitting right here."

"Is it a trap?" asked Naruto, looking all around very quickly.

"It doesn't feel like it," Sakura said quietly, running her hand around in the air above a stack of documents.

"Let me try to pick them up," said Naruto, moving forward and up next to Sakura. "Is there something we can light?"

"It's too dangerous, Naruto!" said Sakura; reaching into her weapons pouch she pulled out a small candle. She made a few hand signs and its wick sprung into light.

"Ne, Sakura-chan," Naruto said grinning. "How will we know if we don't try? Besides I heal faster than you, it'll be fine. Believe it."

Sakura grudgingly nodded. "Fine, you have me wanting to know badly enough. Good thing for you that I'm a medical ninja."

Naruto laughed humorously.

"Careful," Sakura whispered as Naruto reached a hand slowly towards the abandoned documents.

Naruto reached them though, and with no danger to his person. He grasped the top one and lifted it towards him.

"It's an ANBU file," Sakura said over Naruto's shoulder. For someone who had protested their venture to vehemently now that she was here she felt her curiosity spike.

"ANBU number one four three ninety-five," Naruto read off. "Member: Fox, codename…"

"What is it, Naruto?" asked Sakura as she turned towards the paper. "Codename: Arashi."

"I don't believe it," Naruto muttered, his eyes were wide with astonishment. "Sakura-chan, I have to take these with me, I promise I'll bring them back later."

"That's not what you said we were here for, Naruto!" Sakura stepped away and looked at him angrily. "I can't let you do that."

"I know how to get past everything now," Naruto said, his voice rising with his eyebrows. "It'll be no problem to return them by dawn, ne? Come on, please?"

"Naruto," she replied, her voice strained. "I'm leaving now."

Naruto got a pained look on his face as he watched Sakura back up. She was edging out of the room and avoiding making eyesight with him. Naruto knew to expect it though, some day. It was the ninja way: Country came first.

She crouched. "Did you consider why those very precious documents are sitting out in the open, randomly, with no apparent protection?"

Naruto's blue eyes flashed in the near dark, his eyes bright from the candle he was still shakily holding. He could do nothing but look at Sakura; he didn't even have an answer for her. He knew that he was breaking a rule, a personal one, by clutching the motley bunch of files, and he knew it because he wasn't following Sakura out of the room.

However his heart was burning in a way in that moment, holding those folders, that in only ever burned when the Kyuubi chakra was running through his veins. This was important to him, believe it.

"I'll give you until the night is half gone," said Sakura. "After that the ANBU will be in this room. I can't risk my country Naruto. Neither can you," Sakura disappeared, petals of her namesake swirling around the room before disappearing with her chakra signature. Naruto sat on the floor.

"I never thought it…" mumbled Naruto. He dropped all the folders on the floor, picking up the first. He paused, putting out the candle. The adrenaline in his body was more than enough to keep his eyesight sharp for the files.

He began to read from the files. "Academy graduation rank: seven. Passed examination into cell seven, specialized in light manipulation and air element ninjutsu. Cell captain-."

Naruto stopped the name in the slot had been completely blacked and was replaced by only a handful of symbols. "Jiraiya."

Naruto scanned down the rest of the paper; it was filled with brief descriptions of missions and reference numbers for them all. "I'll be damned," Naruto's eyes went wide. "Jiraiya got the Rasengan from Arashi."

Naruto threw the paper aside, not paying attention to the pristine organization they had been in. The rest of the folder was full of annotated accomplishments and situations worth a mention. It followed the man he knew as Arashi up through his Chunin years to his Jonin.

The next folder was the folder that held his ANBU records, and the techniques that he had developed. Naruto could only marvel at the accounts within that folder. The power that the man had and the techniques he wielded were astounding.

The next folder that Naruto read, nearly an hour later was a folder that held information that both excited Naruto and also shamed him when he finished.

It was an account of the second cell seven, the cell seven that Yondaime had taught. It was a correct documentation of the accomplishments and merits of the team, and it was also a correct documentation of the deaths of two of the teammates. The information within ended after the preliminary Kyuubi attack.

Naruto tossed that folder as far as he could away from him and watched as the papers flew helter-skelter across the floor. He picked up the last folder with trepidation; he thought he knew what was going to come next.

He gasped. The folder held not papers but a handful of symbols printed down the middle. It said 'Naruto'.

X-_X-_X

"Are you done?"

Naruto leapt into action, he leaped over the strewn papers and laded with shuriken in both hands facing the adversary across from him. He hadn't thought about whether if it were the ANBU what position he'd get in from taking a defensive stance. However the person across from him was far from ANBU, though maybe not so far as he once thought.

"Arashi," Naruto said, softly. His blue eyes lost a bit of the shine. "Yondaime."

"I would have thought by now you'd have my actual name, Naruto-kun," Yondaime replied. His eyes locked onto Naruto. He was no longer in the ANBU uniform but was now clothed in his Hokage's robe.

"Minato Namikaze," Naruto replied. He put the shuriken back in his pouch. "Did you come back to haunt me?"

Yondaime laughed in response to Naruto's question. "Why would I haunt you?" he asked amongst an uncanny flurry of chuckles. He uncrossed his arms and tried to move closer to Naruto, Naruto backed away further. The man seemed oddly more _solid_ and more serious than he had been the previous two times he saw him.

"Because I'm the reason you're dead," Naruto said, his voice scratchy. This is what his life came down to. He'd paid for the Kyuubi's sins all his life and now he was about to pay the master price. Naruto liked the man he had come to know as Arashi, he couldn't believe that irony had come to him in such a form.

"Naruto," began Arashi, his face softer now. "In more ways than one you are the reason I am alive."

"Huh?" Naruto demanded. He wished this easygoing man would just enact his revenge and leave him to his failures.

"Naruto those files that were left for you," Minato pointed to the mess on the floor. "You went through all of them right?"

"Yeah," Naruto responded, not taking his eyes off the man to look at the scattered papers on the floor. "The last one's empty."

"It is not," replied Minato. "It holds your name."

Naruto didn't respond, he wasn't sure what was going on.

"It's the next chapter," Minato continued. "It's the chapter that you've already helped form, the one that you've lived through all these years. Naruto, you have and will always be the continuance of my legacy."

"What do I have to do with you beyond the grave," shouted Naruto in indignation. "Besides being the one who put you there?"

"You didn't put me there, Naruto," replied Yondaime, he took Naruto's anger in stride; he was too overjoyed at being there. "I died protecting the country and people I love, as is the duty of a Hokage. I died protecting you, Naruto."

Naruto was shaking with barely concealed anger. "You died to damn me!"

Yondaime's whole face froze. "It wasn't supposed to be that way Naruto. The rest of the village was supposed to treat you as a hero, to care for you the way I cared for you."

"Why would you care about me?" shot back Naruto, he waved his arms. "What made me so special that you had to put the Kyuubi inside of me?"

Yondaime watched Naruto's eyes darken, a red sheen bleeding into them. "Naruto I couldn't leave the duty of Kyuubi to anyone else, you were special."

"How was I special?" demanded Naruto, his chakra flared. "I have no bloodline limit, no great ancestors, and I don't even have a clan!"

"You have ancestors Naruto, and a clan. Even the Kyuubi has blessed you with your own kind of bloodline," Yondaime said, he sent his chakra out to meet Naruto's hoping to calm it down.

"What ancestors? What clan?" Naruto railed. "You chose me because I was an orphan, didn't you? Because I was dispensable?"

"Never," replied Yondaime instantaneously. "Naruto, I chose you because you were mine to choose."

"What does that even mean!" Naruto replied. There was a voice very much like Iruka-sensei's in the back of his mind, preaching lessons from the Academy days, telling him it was important to control his chakra, to force him emotions down. He didn't listen to it.

"Naruto, you became the vessel of the Kyuubi because I could not choose any other," Yondaime's eyes darkened, the blue become a namesake. "Naruto you are the Kyuubi vessel because you are a part of me."

Naruto stood stock-still. 'He couldn't possibly mean…'

"Naruto you are my legacy, my son."

X-_X-_X

Kakashi dropped his hand from the rough edge of the tribute stone, and stood back up.

"Are you okay?" Iruka asked quietly from where he stood some yards back. He had watched the man with calculating eyes, never taking his gaze away from what was happening, even when he was plagued with memories of his own.

"I am fine, Iruka," Kakashi leaned his head back, feeling the air, and the sun of that fine summer's day.

"Why do we have to go to Lady Tsunade?" Iruka stayed still looking alertly towards Kakashi.

"Iruka," Kakashi-sensei turned, his eye forming a 'U.' "It is finally time for all the guilt of this great nation to be replaced by a maelstrom of unleashed secrets."

Iruka smiled serenely, albeit thinly, not really believing him. "That sounds wonderful Kakashi."

"Yes," Kakashi said, taking Iruka's hand and beginning to walk away from the stone. "Yes it does."

"The hidden leaves are about to leave their invisible motives behind."

**X-_X-_X**

_**This chapter is where plot actually starts to build, when I first designed this story it was only the first chapter, and it was only a one-shot. It wasn't until a couple stilted years into the project that I discovered plot.**_

_**Thanks for all that read, I look forward to any comments, ideas, or shout outs you may have.**_

_**AnimeSiren**_


	5. Chapter 5

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Five**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

Naruto's emotions were not to be quenched by this new statement of Yondaime's, quite the reverse. His charka spiked high and his eyes bled some red, he shook and shivered, and stood up to his full height. How dare the man in front of him think to speak those words to him.

"How can you say that?" Naruto screamed. "How can you say that to me?"

"Naruto," Minato looked at him, for a moment his eyes blurred and his voice became a whisper. "My Naruto…"

"Don't!" shout Naruto. "Don't talk to me like you didn't abandon me!"

Yondaime recoiled from Naruto's sentence, his charka leaving Naruto's in its swirling maelstrom, all lethargy left him and his eyes became clear again. The small room was filled with anger, and the air was turning stale.

"Naruto , my intention was for you to be a mighty hero," Yondaime's eyes were wide "Someone that would be looked up to."

"Stop saying that!" shouted back Naruto, he tried to remind himself of his teachings and tried to calm his ragged breathing. "It doesn't matter what your intentions were you asshole!"

"I liked you! You were like Kakashi-sensei, all quirky and weird and nice!" Naruto kept on speaking; he wanted to hurl accusation at the man. "You're too cool to be the one that made me go through all that hell!"

"Naruto," Yondaime could say nothing else. He opened and closed his hand a couple of times. The room's darkness did nothing to subdue the tumultuous emotions flitting across his face. "I'm sorry."

Naruto slumped forward; he let his shoulders sag in absolute desperation.

All was silent. Almost. Yondaime cocked his ears towards the door; there was an imperceptible shift within the air.

"You're _dead_," said Naruto. He looked cuttingly at Yondaime. "You're not supposed to be alive. This is _wrong_."

"This is my home, Naruto," Yondaime replied. "I told you that the just the other day, didn't I? Why is it so wrong to return home? Eventually everyone returns to the place they call home."

Naruto felt like it was Sandaime speaking to him for a moment instead of Yondaime. He shook his head, there were plenty of enemy ninja who could pull of a genjutsu this strong, he had to be on his guard "You're dead that's what's wrong!"

"It's high time I live again," responded Yondaime. He nodded as if he were a daimyo making an absolute statement or decree.

Naruto didn't know what action to take next, nothing in all his years of training could possibly lead him to know how to diffuse his current situation. He was alone in a room with a man who was a long dead Hokage, a hero, a martyr, and apparently his father. He was alone in a room with his dead father.

That thought struck him.

"Oh Kami," he moaned. "It's only me isn't it? I'm seeing things, things that aren't real. Baa-chan's not gonna' let me be a shinobi any more after this!"

"Naruto," Yondaime said, he thought about approaching closer to Naruto but the boy was still far too emotional for that. "It's not only you, I've spoken to Kakashi, you can ask him if you'd like. You're not going crazy; chakra and the blessing of the Kami have allowed me a chance to make things that are wrong right, in a way."

"Sakura-chan couldn't see you!" Naruto replied forcefully.

"Many things are changing, Naruto," Yondaime said, explaining. "My power has been growing over these past few days, I've been able to be human more often, and I've been able to sort through more and more of my memories. And more and more facts about what has happened in these long years have been made apparent to me."

"Tch," Naruto replied. He crossed his arms defiantly, thinking hard. The man before him said he'd spoken to Kakashi-sensei right? So if what he said was true…then Kakashi would know?

Naruto had to take 'Yondaime' to Kakashi.

Before Naruto could voice this fact he was interrupted. "Naruto. Forgive me please? Forgive me as your father and the man that damned you to the hell you've had to face."

Naruto surprisingly didn't have to think about this new statement for very long. He had often wondered what he would ever say to Yondaime if he were alive, and as it turns out Yondaime was there, living and breathing once more.

"Answer me a question," Naruto said. "What was my mother's name?"

Yondaime sucked in breath, breath of dust and molding books, but breath none-the-less. "You're mother was a strong kunoichi, and a beautiful woman and her name was: Uzumaki Kushina."

Naruto sucked in a quick breath but couldn't stop the swelling of tears within his eyes. "I…carry my mother's name?"

"Hai, Naruto," responded Yondaime. His eyes were shining with unshed tears as well. "In the way your mother would have wanted."

Naruto hung his head, looking at the floor and gripping his arms. Yondaime moved two hesitant steps forward and put his arm on his son's shoulder. It was the first time Yondaime was able to touch Naruto like this, like a true father and son. He was honored.

"Ero-sennin," said Naruto softly, and then louder again. "Ero-sennin told me a story once. He said the story took place in a country that no longer exists anymore, with people who are now dead."

Yondaime was not bored with this conversational turn, but enthralled. Naruto was sharing something with him.

"He said that their was a great ninja leader there, one who was known to all as the best fight, the best thinker, and the kindest man that had ever walked the lands there," Naruto looked up a bit, and only a faint tear trail seemed apparent on his hardening eyes.

"This ninja raised students to carry on after him, ones who shared all his most known traits," Naruto continued on, his eyes were held narrowed and shrewd, and his mouth was pulled gaunt in a grimace. "And then Ero-sennin told me about what happened when the great leader became ill."

Yondaime's hand was still on Naruto's shoulder, rising and falling with the young ninja's every breath. "Those students of his began to fight amongst themselves, and the leader was not well enough to stop the disagreements between them. Eventually the disagreements spread amongst the peoples of the lands, from economics to simple land rivalries."

Naruto paused a moment. "The pervy sage said a bunch about what happened but he talked a lot about the great leader's students. He said they were different in every way, but the same as well."

"When the great leader's health was too bad for him to get out of his bed many people pressed him to make a decision about a successor," Naruto said. "But the great leader refused to make a decision because he said it was up to the people of his nation to choose their leader."

"Who'd they choose Naruto?" asked Yondaime, he was looking into Naruto's eyes as hard as Naruto was looking into his own. He never knew his sensei to waste a story, he was eager for the outcome.

"No one," replied Naruto. "They couldn't make a decision because everybody kept fighting amongst themselves about things that everyone else had done. Ero-sennin says they must be cloud's ancestors because they all act like whiny little girls."

Yondaime grinned and Naruto continued. "Eventually one of the leader's students sought to take the role of leader for himself, and was going to kill the old leader to do it. He did. There was no struggle and the old leader didn't defend himself."

"Right before the old leader died, when shadows were leaking into his eyes he told his student that he forgave him," Naruto continued, he opened and closed a fist once as if to explain the phenomenon. "It was anticlimactic and how easy it was for the old leader to forgive the student of his wrong doings led his student to commit seppuku and the country to fall into turmoil."

Yondaime frowned, it didn't sound like an uplifting piece of his old sensei's usually absent genius at all. It sounded saddening and grief filled. His attention was back on Naruto when he suddenly shrugged his hand off.

"So you bastard!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing a fist at him. "I'm going to forgive you, if you actually are you, because nothings gonna' change what you did to me. And I know that you're gonna' have to live with the knowledge of what happened to me in my past."

Yondaime nodded once, and then again a quicker, second time. "Thank you, Naruto."

"We're gonna' go find Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, as if unfolding some great and analytical plan, and not even considering that the man that called himself Yondaime might not follow his orders. "And he's going to know whether you're lying, though you don't act like it, and he's going to know what needs to be done with you."

"Done with me?" Yondaime grinned. "Who are you to say what's to be 'Done with me,' squirt?"

"Who are you calling squirt?" yelled Naruto in a great battle cry.

Yondaime was spared the comical pleasure of having to fight off his son by the sudden, startling appearance of an entire squad of ANBU ninja. "Well," he said after a moment's pause, he cocked his head to the side and grinned. "This is certainly a turn of events."

X-_X-_X

"Namikaze Minato," said Kakashi.

"What?" asked Iruka in return, turning his curious gaze to the man that walked beside him. After leaving the tribute stone they had begun to immediately make their way to Hokage tower. The early dawn light was catching the town's people off guard. There were hardly any people out on that particular weekend morning.

"That is the true name of the Yondaime," responded Kakashi. He said this with a poignant air, an unrestrained attitude, and a calm visage.

Iruka's pace paused and slowed down momentarily, Kakashi tugged him forward once more the next moment. "Why are you telling me this, Kakashi?"

"Because, I told you," with a quick gesture and jump he and Iruka took to the roofs around them. "Motives are about to be left abandoned."

Iruka sighed heavily, and added a bit more energy to his step as he followed Kakashi across a particularly wide expanse of air from one roof to another. "I don't know this exact riddle of yours yet, Kakashi."

Kakashi stopped, and grabbed up Iruka's hands as he stopped next to him as well. "Iruka I trust you."

Iruka continued to look at him. It was unlike Kakashi to be this forward and forthcoming. When he had entered into the relationship with the man in front of him he had accepted that there was going to be much that he couldn't understand, and even more that he would never know. This recent action was usurping all of Iruka's previous acceptances.

"I want you to know this," Kakashi continued "I would willingly put a kunai in your hand and press my neck to it. I am willing to be a half of your whole."

"Kakashi," Iruka said. "What is making you act so…abrupt?"

"My past has killed me every day of my life," answered Kakashi, his tone was his usual stoic nonchalance, the very opposite off the words he spoke. "Ever since the day that it became my past. But it has halted, my life is becoming my own and I now know it is my duty to make sure that the past stays exactly where it is: In the past."

"Where does Hokage-sama come into all this?" Iruka moved closer to the man, his hair was pulled back in its usual style, and the strands tickled his ear as the wind breezed through his chocolate locks.

"A story first, sensei," Kakashi jerked him into movement back across the roofs again. "A story first."

"Well," said Iruka. He sent Kakashi an enabling look, one that his students had seen before, particularly when they are intent on getting their way. "Carry on then."

"Yondaime met a beautiful woman one day, back when he was still a jonin of course-."

"Of course," Iruka said lightly. He shook his head and smiled slightly, moving quickly to keep up with the jonin.

"Ruka-kun, no interruptions. As I was saying Yondaime met Uzumaki Kushina in a far away land when he was a jonin. She was a remarkable woman with a paradox for a personality," Kakashi smirked. Iruka was staring at him, the name Uzumaki rousing suspicions that he'd had for a very long time.

"Yondaime found that the more and more missions he took in this land, as it was at civil war, the more and more he made it a point to seek her out while he was there," Kakashi was speaking with a theatrically excited air. One a child might have when revealing a particularly crafty plan.

"At one point, however, both Kushina-san and Yondaime discovered that they enjoyed each other's companies, and each other's personalities, and even each other's bodies. They fell into romance, and the clan of Uzumaki fell even further into the country's civil war," Hokage tower loomed up imperiously in front of them.

"Kushina-san was to be married, eventually, to a rival clan who was submitting to the rule of Uzumaki, as small a clan as it was, and to the Uzumaki's more honorable leadership ways. Neither of them could put up with this so they were hard pressed to come to a solution," Kakashi took a breath and leveled his gaze around them.

"However upon returning home from a mission, and to train his dwindling team, Yondaime was named successor to the Hokage title. This presented even more problems to the star crossed lovers. They were forming a plot for Kushina to escape her country and to come to Konoha. It was one thing for a Jonin to sneak in a refugee from another country, it was an entirely different thing for the Hokage to sneak a foreign refugee," Iruka looked towards Kakashi, surmising where the story was headed.

"He did it anyway though," Kakashi barked a short laugh out. "Months later, after a break in battle, Yondaime snuck Uzumaki Kushina into Konohagakure, after only days of being the village's leader."

"This brought up new questions with the couple. How would they be together? What would her status within the village be? Could they ever reveal that she was a member of a foreign clan embroiled in a civil war and therefore a person that could definitely not be found within a neutral nation?" Kakashi motioned with his hands as they touch down into the shadow of the Hokage tower.

"Their decision was decided for them as days after Kushina's arrival to the village as word came that the entire Uzumaki clan had been destroyed in a coup hosted in her small home country," Iruka looked sharply at Kakashi. However he did as be was bid and did not interrupt the silver haired man.

"Uzumaki Kushina shucked her name and her heritage and became just another civilian of Konohagakure. However in secret she and the Yondaime Hokage married, and lived separately from each other most of the time. The council never knew of the union, and very few members of the village ever found out."

"The major catalyst of other's finding out about the secret affair," said Kakashi, his voice dropping a few decibels as they entered the highly guarded building. "Was that Kushina became pregnant, and friends were pulled into the equation."

"Yondaime's students, his trusted advisors, and his teacher of old, as well as Sandaime of course, were pretty much all that ever gained the precious knowledge."

Iruka's expression was stern and resigned; he knew the answers to the rest of the story. "And then after that of course-."

"Yes," said Kakashi cutting his off. "Nine months later a blond haired boy was born while a demon simultaneously attacked the village. Kushina was lost in child birth and Yondaime to the demon, after sealing his hours old son to the chakra of the great fox beast."

"I have always suspected the resemblance," muttered Iruka, as they rose up the flights of stairs. "But I never dared to go so far as to guess."

"My sensei," muttered Kakashi back "Was a man of great strength, and of compassion."

"A great leader," comforted Iruka, his voice filled with his own compassion, and he felt for the loss that Kakashi had suffered.

"Naruto is the last of his clan," Kakashi said. "And something…splendid has occurred that needs to be brought to the attention of the Hokage."

"Which is?" pressed Iruka. He nodded to Kotetsu and Izumo as his friends came out of the Hokage's Office, laden with books.

"It will be easier to explain inside," replied Kakashi. He stopped in front of the ANBU guards and turned towards Iruka. "I am glad I have told you this, Iruka-koi."

Iruka smiled back up at his, unconsciously fingering his scar as well. "I'm glad you've trusted me with this, Kakashi-koi."

"Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka to see Hokage-sama," said Kakashi to the guards standing on either side of the door. His voice was careless and if there didn't exist a certain weight to these proceedings there was no doubt that he would have sought the Lady Hokage out via her window.

A snide voice responded. "Well Hatake, deciding not to use the window for once?"

"It's important, Hare," Kakashi responded "Very, very important."

X-_X-_X

"Ne," said Naruto, looking at the impressive array of guards and weapons before them. "Sakura-chan gave me more time than she said she would; she said I'd only have until half night had passed."

"Good kunoichi, that girl," murmured Minato. Naruto nodded his head in absent agreement. He realized that it would be a good idea to stow his kunai back into his weapons pouch.

"Uzumaki Naruto," said one of the ANBU standing close to him. "You have violated many distinct laws, and committed treason by coming to these sacred rooms under no one's will but your own, and bringing a stranger into these rooms as well."

Naruto didn't really know how to respond, and looked at his supposed father hesitantly. "Umm, eto, we have a small situation, believe it."

His words lacked oomph and the guards didn't lower their weapons any. "You will be brought in front of Hokage-sama and the council, and arrested for your actions."

Yondaime looked over the display in hardly disguised humor. The men and women in front of him had been trained well, and hard. They were in perfect strategic formation, and their chakra and ninjutsu looked to be perfectly formatted. They were also young however, too young to remember his face, only his legacy.

"Now hold on here!" Naruto said, startled at the ANBU's pronouncement. "Just take me to baa-chan and we'll explain everything to her."

The ANBU captain held up binding wire to them threateningly. "You will come by your own will or by force."

"Wait, wait, wait," Naruto waved his hands, and began to sweat. "This guy here…he's-well you see-he's…"

Naruto trailed off, unsure how to continue. He only wanted to speak to Tsunade and to Kakashi as well. He needed to explain to them, and to tell them the things that he'd learned. He was about to start explaining again when a rougher voice cut through the air of the small room.

"He's the Yondaime Hokage."

Naruto stifled a sharp gasp as the hulking shape of a man stepped through the doorway and into the room. It was Morino Ibiki, and he did not look pleased with the current situation. The captain of torture and interrogation was a bad symbol of their fate.

"Ibiki-san," began Naruto putting a hand behind his head sheepishly. He laughed sheepishly, remembering the man's demeanor all too well from his chunin exams

"Save it, Uzumaki," Ibiki replied. He surveyed the room. "Good job team!"

He moved his glance from his team to Minato at Naruto's side. "Hokage-sama, it is good to see you once more, and breathing too."

Minato looked at him for a moment and then the Hokage let out a raucous laugh. "Ah Ibiki I forgot what a riot you are!"

Ibiki smirked and Yondaime grinned. "How can you really be sure it's me? Back from the dead and breathing once more? I might be genjutsu, ne?"

"I never forget chakra, Yondaime-sama," replied Ibiki. "And your particular chakra and this boy's natural chakra (he motioned at Naruto) are especially hard to forget."

Naruto looked around the room, startled, and he certainly wasn't the only one. Many of the ANBU were exchanging surreptitious glances and a couple of them had lowered weapons and were looking at Ibiki for further instructions. All had been startled by the exclamation that the man in front of them was their dead leader: Yondaime-sama back from the grave.

"We need to speak to the princess," Yondaime said, he looked appealingly at Ibiki, as if asking for a favor.

"No doubt," Ibiki replied. "I have witnessed many strange and terrible things in my day, as you will well remember from our days together, but the omen of your return is especially hard pressed to my mind right now."

"Nice to see you again too," Yondaime smirked.

"Disperse!" shouted Ibiki to the room, with a slightly delayed reaction the ANBU members broke rank and disappeared from the room, not even their chakra signature remaining behind.

"The Hokage is going to be angry at having to see you this early in the morning," chuckled Ibiki.

"Baa-chan's probably hung over," groaned Naruto. "Not even Iruka-sensei would bother baa-chan this early."

Yondaime ruffled Naruto's hair, ignoring the sharp jab he got in return, and followed Ibiki's now retreating steps from the room. "Think she's gonna' care long brat?"

Naruto snorted. "Tch. Probably not."

Yondaime's laughter followed them all the way from the catacomb like libraries and into the Hokage tower.

**X-_X-_X**

_**I'm happy to have finally had a chance to begin editing my chapters, I realized there were quite a few errors, and more than just a few immature examples of writing. I hope everyone that read enjoyed, and that you'll drop me a review to let me know. I always welcome critiques, they better a writer.**_

_**Thanks,**_

_**AnimeSiren**_


	6. Chapter 6

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Six**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

Hare nodded and bowed a head. "I'll return in a moment. _If_ the Hokage wishes to see you then you may enter."

Kakashi nodded mutely, his expression unfathomable behind his mask.

"So, Kushina died in childbirth?" Iruka mused, trying to urge Kakashi to continue. He looked sadly downwards. It was unfair that Naruto's path had to be riddled with so much grief.

"Hai," said Kakashi. He furrowed his brow; he could hear nothing from within the Hokage office.

"How did no one ever discover this?" asked Iruka faintly surprised, the power of the Konoha grapevine was legendary. "Certainly medical staff would have known of the birth?"

"They did," replied Kakashi after a short moment, his eyes didn't leave the door in front of them, "They even volunteered for it."

"Hm?"

"Before the birth Yondaime approached medic-nin that he was sure he could trust and offered them the choice to participate in the birth," Kakashi said.

"Was it really _that_ necessary that they had that much secrecy?" Iruka looked a little offended on Naruto's behalf.

"If the council found out it would have been the end of Yondaime," Kakashi began.

"But," interrupted Iruka "How could marriage to a refugee cause that much trouble?"

"She wasn't only a refugee," he refuted. "She was a member of a clan embroiled in conflict against a rival clan that had political ties to Konoha, she was the _enemy_."

Iruka's eyes widened and he sucked in a quick breath.

"Yamanaka Inoichi removed the memories of all the medical staff afterwards," Kakashi said offhand. "That's the part they volunteered for."

Iruka nodded. Kakashi was shifting from foot to foot nervously, anxiously. Iruka was feeling nervous just looking at him. This new information made him feel rushed, and made his head spin a little, but he wasn't sure what there was to be nervous about. He could see the shock and awe, but not the nervousness.

At that moment Hare reappeared in the hall. "She's not pleased."

"And?" said Kakashi, Shizune had reappeared in the office entryway.

"She is permitting you," the two ANBU moved aside. Shizune looked at them questioningly; it was far too early in the morning for Tsunade to have patience for someone like Hatake Kakashi.

At the mostly subtle movement of Hare Shizune nodded.

Something was happening.

X-_X-_X

"So," the Hokage said as they came into the room. "My loyal men appear before me."

Iruka raised his brow at Kakashi, an angry Tsunade in the morning was not uncommon but the woman before them was shaking with lividest emotions. Kakashi somewhat shrugged in response.

Tsunade glared at them.

"Hokage-sama," said Iruka tentatively. "We have something, er, important to discuss with you."

"A lot of people require the Hokage this morning," she retorted, her voice rising loftily, she whirled around and flopped aggressively down behind her desk. "You are not the first to have alerts this morning."

They both remained silent. Iruka was silent with nervous anxiousness, Kakashi in muted curiosity.

"At this moment there are ANBU squads escorting men to my office who, apparently, were found having broken into the office of Hokage Files," she leveled her eyes at them. The colorful mark on her forehead blinked into oblivion beneath her tightly furrowed brow.

"The Hokage Files?" gasped Iruka, his arms came loose from their crossed position. "Who could be doing something like that? There are so many levels of jutsu on those-."

"Ninja of this village," Tsunade broke in. She kept looking at them as if she expected them to blurt answers to their own question, and she studied them as if she expected them to already know this.

At that even Kakashi started slightly, there seemed to be more going on below the surface of the village than even he had realized. He certainly hadn't heard of anything that could lead to the Hokage's current plate of transgressions lately. He wondered at the identities of the traitors.

"You'll find that you know both of the shinobi," Tsunade tapped an impatient nail on the surface of her desk "Somewhat _intimately_."

Iruka's eyes widened even more. "Perhaps you'll care to enlighten us, Oh leader of ours?" asked Kakashi. His visible eye narrowed at their leader, and it was obvious that he didn't care how his sarcastic words were received.

"Bah!" The Hokage growled out in response. "I suspect you'll be finding out soon enough. When that happens I expect answers for exactly what has been going on under the nose of your Hokage!"

The last part of her statement was shouted in explosive rage. Iruka nudged forward slightly. "Hokage-sama, I don't know how we could know anything," he began "We would certainly never be involved in a plot to steal precious information belonging to this village."

The Hokage grunted and folded her arms. "I have no thought whatsoever of you being involved _in_ the plot," she said "However there was a reason you came to see me this morning, hmm?"

The two exchanged a look once more. Iruka dropped his gaze to the ground, his hand coming up to rub an uncomfortable finger across his scar.

"Perhaps it would have been _prudent_ to let your Hokage know what was going on before it escalated this far?" she asked rhetorically.

"Are you saying you _know_ exactly why we came to see you this morning?" asked Kakashi, dead serious. Iruka furrowed his brow, looking up again.

"Yes," she half snarled. "I'm not the Hokage for anything now am I?"

Neither of the men replied.

"I just want to know," the Hokage's agitation blasted out once more and she stood thrusting her hands down on the desk. "How anyone expects this to end smoothly or for me to _actually_ be able to do anything about it."

"Is there an 'it?'" ventured Kakashi.

"You will shut it, soldier, until I need you," she snarled. "Is there an 'it'? No, of course not, this is a sordid tale about _butterflies_ that we've been thrust into. There's absolutely nothing threatening of course, idiot!"

Iruka flinched. Not only was the Hokage's voice and physical movements getting out of hand but her chakra was swirling around the room in dangerous jolts as well. Was there more than just the reappearance of a dead comrade? The Hokage normally handled problems within the village with an almost deadly calm, this was something Iruka expected after she received her gambling debt tab for the month.

Shizune flew in through the door the next moment. She hadn't bothered to knock, and she didn't close it after her. "They're almost here Hokage-sama!"

"Fine," Tsunade's chakra receded from the exposure of the room. She sat behind her desk once more.

Iruka and Kakashi moved away from the open door, Kakashi attempting to fade into the shadows of the room, Iruka nervously fidgeting. They could feel the stilted and excellent chakra control of ANBU approaching the office. Why they hadn't just appeared in the room with their prisoners Kakashi couldn't guess.

All at once Ibiki came into the office, leading two squads of ANBU warriors behind him. In the middle of the two entering squads stood Uzumaki Naruto and the Yondaime Hokage, vice like grips holding them in place.

"Naruto!" Iruka said, floored. What could Naruto be doing in this? Did he already know? The next second Iruka's attention was stolen by the equally blond man standing besides him. Iruka had only seen the Yondaime in profile as a child; it was having an awe striking impact on him.

"Ne, Iruka-sensei," Naruto said sheepishly, he patted his hand on the back of his head a couple times, the ANBU holding him jerking his arm back into place. He let out a relieved sigh when he realized that his old sensei's attention was no longer on him. He had been prepared to get a lecture when Iruka-sensei found out about what he did. He may have gone on a three year long training mission, and faced more deadly enemies than he could count, but Iruka-sensei could still lecture him like no other.

Many were staring at the Yondaime in varying levels of shock. Iruka, Kakashi, Tsunade, Shizune, and many of the ANBU were leering around his presence in clear astonishment. Ibiki was smirking smugly around at everyone. It seemed as if he thought that the whole event was a wicked fun occurrence.

"Hello," said Yondaime. He smiled brightly and charmingly from within the crowd of ANBU "Princess."

"Yondaime-sama," Tsunade bowed her head. All of her wrath and anger seemed to have dissipated; she too, now, was filled with the enraptured awe of the others who had found out about the freak act of nature. This was no henge, no jutsu, anyone with enough ability could tell exactly who stood before them.

"Hokage now, ne?" he smirked "Following the family trade."

Tsunade blushed. Naruto burst out laughing "Granny!"

"Naruto," scolded Iruka. "Don't you think you've gotten in enough trouble!"

Yondaime belly laughed (very reminiscent of his son), and Iruka blushed. He broke away from the ANBU escort (Ibiki nodding to his men to stand down) and slapped an arm around Iruka, crushing him to him. Iruka looked startled and entirely flustered. "I've heard about you!"

Kakashi cleared his throat, subtly.

"Yondaime-sama," Tsunade cleared her throat. "I've heard enough reports of your authenticity, and I believe that's what those two (she motioned to Kakashi and Iruka) came to tell me, it only leaves one question: How did this come about?"

Yondaime released Iruka and turned to her.

"When I left," he began. "You actually looked _older_ than you look now."

Tsunade sweat dropped. Ibiki roared with laughter "Sensei…" muttered Kakashi.

"Alright," Yondaime laughed to himself. He turned to the eight ANBU members standing around Ibiki. "You're dismissed."

The members waited until they received the subtle nod from Ibiki before departing. "Who died and made you Hokage?" asked Ibiki, grinning broadly.

Yondaime laughed again. It appeared as if they certainly had fun back in the old days of Yondaime living. Tsunade looked between the two, and then settled on staring expectantly at Yondaime. She was still Hokage, her questions had best be answered.

Yondaime sighed and his expression turned serious. "I don't know how I am here."

"Excuse me?" said Tsunade. She looked up at him with dubious, wide eyes. "How can you not know how you are here? You were _dead_; you have to know the circumstances for opening your eyes."

"I certainly remember," said Minato. "But I do not know _how_. I should reassert my statement, lady Hokage."

"_I_ think I am here to right wrongs," he said slowly, Naruto impatiently switched his view from Tsunade to Minato. Kakashi's eye narrowed on his sensei. "This is a golden opportunity for me, Tsunade. I have the ability to fix things that my death caused. To fix things that I missed the opportunity to fix being as I was rather preoccupied with being _dead_."

"You do not know the specific reasons behind your being here?" Tsunade looked at him with disbelief, up until that moment she had believed that the man had been able to do _something_ in the last moments before his death, that then lead to him being there now.

"No, none besides my own."

"And you do not know _how_ you physically came to be alive again."

"No, I don't remember…_exactly_," Minato tapped his temple a couple times, seemingly in deep thought.

Tsunade swallowed and settled her arms atop her desk. Kakashi moved forward slightly, looking at his mentor intently. "What do you remember, sensei?"

Minato smiled at his former student and put a hand atop Naruto's head. He shook the young man's hair and smiled when his hand got swatted at. "The first thing I remember is Naruto's face."

Iruka watched him like a hawk, noting his interaction with Naruto "Really? Where was that?" asked Naruto excitedly.

"At the tribute stone."

"Really," Naruto said incredulously. "You didn't look like you had just risen from the dead, old man."

Minato smirked at Naruto's language usage and then closed his eyes softly. "There were voices, discussing my power, my _energy_. Then there was light, a release, and it was apparent to my consciousness that time had seemingly passed."

"Voices?" Ibiki questioned sharply. "Were you able to gain the identities of these voices?"

"Iie," Minato shook his head. "Forgive me for saying but these…voices? They were in my head."

"Told you that you were crazy," murmured Naruto.

Besides stifling a smile Minato ignored his son's quip. "I heard _sutra_."

"Praying?" spluttered Tsunade, "How could prayer bring you back to life?"

"Not necessarily prayer," conceded Minato. "It was as if I were hearing a long line of jutsu. It was one jutsu after the other, over and over again, continuously entering my mind and going out once more."

"So it was jutsu," nodded Tsunade. "But these 'voices,' they weren't physically near you?"

"No," Yondaime said. "I heard them, but could not see them. I felt their presence in my mind, but could not feel them next to me."

"Hm," Tsunade accepted. She closed her eyes. This was all very disconcerting. Powerful jutsu masters resurrecting deceased Hokages? It had never been heard of, never thought about, who would dare to do such a thing? She went over Minato's words in her head

"Seemingly time had passed you said?" questioned Tsunade sharply.

"I felt as if I had woken up from an especially long slumber," replied Yondaime, gesturing slightly with his hands. "And it seemed as if I knew right away that time had passed, I knew that it was over a decade since I had last walked the Earth."

Tsunade pursed her lips. "Did you have knowledge of things that had already transpired on Earth, things that had passed?"

"No," admitted Yondaime. "I only knew that time had passed, not what happened in that time. The first news I had was when I spoke to Naruto."

Tsunade nodded her head "That's why you didn't know anything, ne?" put in Naruto. He grinned at being able to contribute.

Yondaime nodded his head. Naruto beamed.

"Sensei," said Kakashi, cutting Tsunade off from what she was about to say. "You keep bringing up _energy_. What does this mean? You said there were voices?"

"I felt stronger," he said. "Days after when I spoke to you."

Kakashi furrowed a brow, half glancing at Tsunade, she was looking anxious at not continuing her questioning. "Where were you that whole time, sensei? You appeared and disappeared, and then reappeared, apparently from nowhere."

"I'm not sure…" Yondaime replied slowly. "The stronger I felt my physical body get the more I was 'awake.' I would open my eyes and be in Konoha, be near people I once knew, and then when I closed my eyes sometimes when I reopened them it was hours, or days later."

"The stronger your body the more 'awake?'" questioned Ibiki incredulously. No report he had ever read had mentioned anything like that ever happening.

Naruto looked down. That freaking Ibiki guy was bugging him; he kept looking at them like they were something to eat. He knew that their discussion was important but why couldn't everyone be happy that he finally had a father? A person to love?

A memory was brought back to his mind, just for a second, sharing the Popsicle with Jiraiya in their travels. He had felt so complete then, he wondered how he'd feel, sharing an experience like that with his _real_ father. He may not be a kid anymore, but he could still hold onto that dream.

"This is the longest I've stayed fully conscious of my movements here," Minato replied. "Ibiki, the more _myself_ that I feel the longer I remain. When I first saw Naruto, when I first awoke, I remained for moments, and didn't return for days. I honestly have no idea what happened in between those moments."

"It seems as though you lived once more immediately," said Ibiki. "But your life power took its sweet ass time returning."

Tsunade glared to herself. "This is troubling. We may be dealing with powerful enemies, ones who are seemingly able to come up with a jutsu that can do something like this."

"A jutsu," muttered Iruka to himself. "What kind of jutsu could bring someone back from the dead?" he asked to the room.

"No idea," said Tsunade grimly.

The door swung open bouncing off the wall. Naruto jumped into the air and grunted, the rest of the ninja in the room becoming alert. More or less alert, at any rate, Ibiki simply turned nonchalantly.

"I'm so sorry, Tsunade-sama," Shizune was bowing from the door, the great hulking frame of Jiraiya filling it "I just noticed Jiraiya-sama."

Tsunade waved a hand. She glared at the white haired man while Shizune left the room bowing, and closing the door behind her.

Jiraiya stared at the blond man in the middle of the room, an unfathomable expression on his face. He seemed in shock. "I didn't believe the reports," he said.

"Ero-sennin!" shouted Naruto. "What do you want?"

"Shut it brat!" said Jiraiya. He crossed to the center of the room and crushed the blond man to him. "Minato…I don't understand."

Minato smiled and slapped him on the back. "It's good to see you, sensei."

"Hai," the other man replied. His white shaggy mane was shaking a bit, and there was undisclosable emotion in his eyes.

"We were just getting down to the how and why," said Tsunade wryly to Jiraiya.

"I know," he said nonchalantly. "I was listening."

Tsunade put a hand over her face, apparently controlling inner rage. "Wonderful."

He smirked. "Princess, I think we have a problem to look at."

She looked up. "What?"

"Who's the one person we know who specializes in death and rebirth jutsu?" replied Jiraiya. "Who do we know that ritually pushes the barrier of humanity to its brink?"

Tsunade stood up. "No!" she said.

"Orochimaru?" spluttered Iruka. "Do you really think-?"

"I do," said Jiraiya. Ibiki rubbed his chin.

"This could be cataclysmic," said Tsunade hurriedly. "We may be wasting time even as we speak, Yondaime-sama you could be in grave danger!"

Minato sort of shrugged. "Well that's certainly not a difference from life before now is it?"

"What are you thinking, Tsunade-chan?" asked Jiraiya softly.

"We must assemble a team," she replied. "We need trained and definitely loyal shinobi to bring into this. We need people to gather information from foreign fields, and we need spies watching sound: _now_."

Jiraiya nodded, Ibiki moved forward to bow in front of her. "What are my orders, Hokage?"

"We need the best," she said "The fiercest and the most loyal."

Stunned at this turn of events, Naruto looked to Iruka. He'd not been present in this type of situation before. He thought that in the end this was going to be an amazingly great turn of events that he could settle down with a family connected to him by blood. Even in his anxiety the idea of battling Orochimaru made his chest flutter in an almost painful way.

Inversely Minato was watching Tsunade. She was acting the part of the perfect Hokage. He had known many things about the woman before him, and the last time he had heard of her she had been in distant lands, avoiding Konoha. Sarutobi had told him many things in confidence when he had asked why his sensei or Tsunade had not been chosen as Hokage.

He also knew about what the repercussions of his appointment did to Orochimaru, and he knew how they pushed the devious man to the edge.

"We need Anko," Tsunade said grimly. "Ibiki, I'm going to need you to bring her here, she, you, and Kakashi will form a team to go and observe sound. We will need to know what is going on there now, and if Orochimaru is still within his stronghold."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Ibiki said rising from where he was.

"Wait," she said. "I want you to bring me Maaito Gai, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, and track down Genma and Raidou; those two should be in the mission's room."

"Hai," he turned to leave once more.

"I'm still not done," she said stiffly. "I want clan leaders in my office. I said I wanted the best. Bring me Hyuuga Hiashi, Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Chouza."

Ibiki raised his eyebrow, and Tsunade dismissed him.

"I'll have Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka start fortifying the borders," she said to herself. "Hyuuga can organize a watch for the walls."

"Do you think preparation for immediate war is necessary?" asked Iruka gesturing fiercely with his hands. "There's no true indication that Orochimaru is behind this."

"Hokage," agreed Kakashi "Information will be more prudent."

The Hokage leveled a glare at the two men. "Do not think to tell me how to run my village," she growled out. "I am not preparing for war, I am preparing for the possibility that we may be attacked, and that we may be subjected to a war. We do not know who these people are that have brought _Namikaze Minato_ back to life."

Jiraiya nodded.

"If Orochimaru has something to do with this that is all the more troubling," she continued. She and Jiraiya shared a look. "You _will_ be observing Orochimaru, Hatake; we _do_ need to know if he is involved. I am organizing this because there is the blatant possibility that we have an enemy within our walls."

"Hey, granny!" said Naruto. Iruka sighed and shook his head. "What about me! I can do something."

Minato chuckled once at this. "That's my boy," he murmured. The boy had been bouncing back and forth on his heels the whole meeting, looking anxiously from one adult to the other. He was more than likely feeling out of place in the room full of experienced ninja, but Minato knew that the boy was observing everything that went on within the room, if in his own uncanny way.

"Naruto," Iruka said. "This is serious."

Naruto pouted and stuck one eye on Tsunade.

"Actually," she said, rather hesitantly. "You and some others of your age group have the uncanny ability of being prevailing in a battle."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, Minato grinned.

"Naruto, I want you to go get as many as your comrades as you can," she said. "_If_ there's to be a battle you will be able to run interference and get messages between the lines much faster than the normal communications."

"Anyone I want, baa-chan?" Naruto looked a little nervous now. He was simply a genin, looks he'd received in the past for just such outbursts came back to him, but he wasn't going to back down now. He had dreams to accomplish.

"Naruto," she began. "You want to be Hokage one day. I am going to lay a responsibility on you that only wartime is responsible for. Though you should make sure that Shikamaru Nara and Hyuuga Neji are amongst those you gather."

"The Rookie Nine," Naruto said. "And Gai-sensei's team, that's who you mean, granny."

She nodded. She was most pleased by the uncharacteristically serious look on Naruto's face. "This village will soon be in the hands of a new generation, I think I'm ready to start handing down that ability now. We learn best under tense situations."

She motioned to the room. "We have all been matured during tense situations. It is the bane of youthful ninja."

Naruto clutched his fist to his heart and bowed. Iruka gaped to himself. It was the picture of a true shinobi before him. Naruto was growing up right before his eyes. Kakashi put a hand on his shoulder and both of them grinned in pride.

Minato caught the movements and smiled sadly to himself. He had missed most of Naruto but he wanted to be part of the loyal shinobi that stood before them. When he had appeared before the tribute stone, and the boy that he immediately knew to be his son he had felt the deepest of emotions, and now he felt them once more.

"I'll be back soon, granny!" he assured and then raced from the room. "See you later pops! Believe it!"

Yondaime jumped. "Did he really…just-?"

Minato shook himself; the smile alighting his face was one of beautiful accomplishment. He loved the boy, he loved his son.

"I suppose I'll have to explain this all over again," Tsunade grumbled to herself. She stood the next moment. "You are all dismissed! I have a council to brief."

The remaining shinobi nodded, or in Minato's case: winked. They left the room, Tsunade right behind them. "Yondaime-sama, I want you to remain with Kakashi."

"Hai, Hokage," he replied. Tsunade paused and then nodded; she had an odd look on her face at the title reference from the other Hokage.

The three of them, Kakashi, Iruka, and Minato, watched Tsunade hurry down the hall, heels clacking, Shizune rushing after them. The ANBU from in front of her doors were missing.

"Yondaime-sama," said Iruka softly.

"Hai?" asked Minato, turning to look at him, an all too familiar smile on his face.

"Naruto's been waiting for you," replied Iruka, and then he bowed. "Thank you."

Minato looked at Iruka. "It is I who should thank you, Umino-san," he replied bowing to the other man. "Thank you for helping raise my son."

The two men stared at each other for a few moments, just until Kakashi spoke. "Sensei, we should continue to my apartment, I'm sure we'll receive information or summons within the next few hours."

"And missions to prepare for, in your case," said Iruka softly. "This all feels rushed."

Kakashi shrugged slightly. "It's as Tsunade says. We could be about to be attacked or sabotaged and we don't even know it. She's doing right by setting certain wheels in motion."

"Yes," agreed Minato. "After all we may have disaster to prepare for."

**X-_X-_X**

**Right on schedule, the beginning of October it was!**

**Let me make a couple things clear: there's a couple things in this chapter that wont make sense until the future, just like every other plot line. Tsunade is not rushing things, she's reacting and strategizing as a just and noble leader should.**

**Thank you,  
**

**I hope you enjoyed,**

**AnimeSiren**


	7. Chapter 7

**One Summer's Day:**

**Chapter 7**

**Enjoy.**

**X-_X-_X**

"O.K." Naruto said to himself, taking a deep breath. He looked around at the group of people surrounding him and gulped almost audibly. Every one of the ninja that were surrounding him were people who had played vital roles in his life, at one time or another. Also, every one of those ninja were definitely not still genin, like he was.

He felt pride as he looked around at the various members of the original rookie nine, and all the comrades that they'd picked up since then. The only feelings of misgiving that he felt was when he was faced with the thought that they wouldn't listen to him, being the genin that he was. It had been a long time since they all had shed blood together.

"Listen up!" he shouted. It was either wait until they listened to him, or take charge for himself "We've been specifically ordered by the Hokage to take on a serious mission."

Shikamaru raised a brow at him. He was standing with both Ino and Chouji, the later of whom was just finishing his second bag of potato chips. Almost everyone that Naruto had grown up around was there. Besides Shikamaru and his team there was Hinata and Neji Hyuuga, Kiba, Sakura, and (unfortunately) Sai, as well as Rock Lee who had just returned from a mission. Both Ten-Ten and Shino Aburame had been sent on mission, Naruto had found out.

"What kind of mission?" drawled Kiba, crossing his arms and leaning on the over grown form of Akamaru "And why're you the one telling us?"

Naruto growled to himself. "Because she told me to! So shut it!" Sakura sent him a reproachful look and Naruto decided to just plot on "We all are awesome ninja, even the old fogies have noticed that, so we've been given an important misson."

"So important that we're meeting in the middle of the forest while you shout it to the world and the Kamis above?" asked Neji sarcastically.

"Yes," Naruto ground out.

"You better just explain, Naruto," Sakura tried to say softly to him in an aside; however Ino chimed in with a "Yeah!"

Naruto took a deep breath "Here goes," he said "So the other day I was at the tribute stone…"

X-_X-_X

Iruka looked over at the man stretched out and lounging on Kakashi's couch. It really had been a shock and surprise but, as a school teacher, he couldn't debunk the novelty in it. As an instructor is was only a matter of time before someone came up with a jutsu of this power, and he was not at all surprised that that person seemed to be Orochimaru. His only hope was that Naruto wasn't hurt in all that was sure to happen.

Kakashi had received summons only hours before, and had departed as nearly as fast as the summons had arrived. Donning his ANBU gear, as he had to from time to time, he had shared a silent moment with Iruka before bidding his sensei goodbye, and leaving for the Hokage offices. He was surely out of the village and on his way to where sounds newest center of activity was located.

Iruka had made both Minato and himself tea, and had given Minato some of Kakashi's clothing to change into. Iruka marveled at their situation yet again when Minato made a joke offhand about how Kakashi had certainly grown since he had been his student.

"Naruto come over often?" Minato asked Iruka. Iruka looked up from his stack of Academy papers and pondered the question thoughtfully, tapping his red pen to the papers.

"Well," said Iruka slowly "If you mean is there a chance your son might be over soon, then yes."

"Hm," murmured Minato, grinning at Iruka "You really are a teacher, ne?"

Iruka laughed awkwardly. While he was comfortable in Kakashi's apartment, and didn't mind looking after the undead Hokage, the man was just frustratingly awkward at times. It reminded Iruka so much of Naruto; he wondered how Naruto had picked up so much of this man, not having even been raised around him.

Iruka put his pen down. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Yondaime-sama, Naruto is truly taken with you, and I don't think he'll miss an opportunity to spend time with you when he finally has some free time from what he's doing."

The Yondaime nodded (he had stopped trying to get Iruka to stop with the polite titles just under two hours ago) and replied "It feels so weird to me, sensei, I don't even know my own son."

Iruka smiled, in fact he didn't even think of pitying the man "You have nothing to fear, Naruto is a boy, more of a man now actually, that no one can escape getting to know. You are going to be very proud of your marvelous son, Yondaime-sama."

"I already am," replied Yondaime. He flipped over on his belly and raised his arm to his head so that he could watch Iruka work "You know, even as Hokage I don't know the answers to half of those academy questions."

Iruka laughed "Neither does Kakashi."

Minato smiled at him. The man was a ball of warmth, it was hard not to notice, he even made tea wonderfully.

"Yondaime-sama," asked Iruka, his pen pausing "Could I ask you something?"

"Only if you stop calling me Yondaime-sama," the blond replied, the smallest hint of desperation in his voice.

"Minato-san then," said Iruka, ignoring the other mans expulsion of breath and clear frustration with him "Does it seem, to you, that only a few weeks ago you were going about your Hokage duties, and expecting your son? Or does it seem like the time has actually passed?"

Minato lay back on the couch. "Yes and no," he replied "My mind _knows_ that so many years have passed, but my body and my heart even, feel like I had my Kushina in my arms only weeks ago."

Iruka frowned in sadness, what the man before him had been through, it made him all too aware of the fate of ninja. All ninja were continuously doomed to have sadness streak itself through their lives. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Ah, don't be, sensei," said Minato closing his eyes "Kushina was a wonderful woman, and an amazing ninja. I see much of her in Naruto, you know."

Iruka nodded, even though Minato couldn't see it. A small, simple smile had moved its way across the blond man's face, and had settled itself down as the perfect picture of peace.

"I just miss Kushina."

X-_X-_X

"That's why Otousan was summoned," murmured Hinata to the other Hyuuga by her side, as Naruto finished his explanation. Neji had become a comrade in the last few years, and they were far on their way to becoming true cousins once more.

The startling news of a previously dead, now alive, Hokage had been met with many shocked faces, and many suspicions, however Naruto had fought hard at his explanations, and Sakura had backed him up, after a small moments hesitation. He laid as much evidence as he could out, and after a while no one disbelieved him, especially after the time wore on where a prank would have gone to far.

"Hai," agreed Neji, looking at the blond ball of energy in the center of everyone gathered. Neji had no doubts that even though the young man in front of him did not have the same ninja rank as him, he could more than likely keep pace in a battle with him, and Neji even went so far as to think that Naruto might even win a spar with him. He had come far in the last few years, as they all had, and even though it wasn't in rank it was definitely progress nonetheless.

"So what exactly are you saying, Naruto?" asked Shikamaru, leaning against the giant of a tree behind him and his team. "That that troublesome woman wants us to play lapdog to the ANBU ops and the Hokage Office during the battle? Lame."

"No," said Naruto, rubbing the back of his head. At least he didn't _think_ that's what Tsunade had meant.

"Isn't it obvious?" drawled Sai. He eyed Shikamaru with disdain. The rest of the ninja waited a moment; however it became _obvious_ that Sai wasn't going to elaborate.

Before Ino could put out a snappy come back Rock Lee opened his mouth "It is obvious that our esteemed leader wants us to be ready at hand should our youthful energies be needed! She has recognized out fortitude and has altruistically given us the most important mission!"

Ino sighed and shook her head, making Shikamaru grin.

"Most important mission?" scoffed Neji "Lee, come on. If we weren't assigned to this we'd be on the frontline, with the other elites, exactly where we belong."

"Maa," said Shikamaru, Chouji crunching along at his side, although watching intently. "It's actually not as easy as that."

Everyone is the circle turned to look at Shikamaru, the famed strategist looking right back at them. "We've proven before that we have an almost unrealistic ability to survive when alongside one another, I don't think that the Hokage simply wants us to relay messages and intelligence throughout the lines, though that'll be our main job most likely (he rolled his eyes), if she thinks something bad might break though whatever strategy her people have put together we're in the opportune position."

"Exactly," said Naruto, as if he had gone over the same theory in his own mind "Believe it!"

"So basically," said Sakura "We might be doing a simple battle assignment, but it might end up being much more than that, so Tsunade-sensei wants us at the ready."

"Aa," agreed Shikamaru, swinging his gaze to the little bit of sky he could see through the trees. "I expect she was planning on explaining it during a boring briefing."

"All right!" exclaimed Lee "Then we have our mission!"

Kiba grinned; it was undoubtedly accurate that he was looking forward to the possibility of their skills coming into play. Sai stared at him, an empty smile on his face, however he too was thinking of all the possibilities.

"Shut it," muttered Ino, rubbing her head at Lee's antics. Sakura was about to reprimand her when she remembered that Ino had been assisting in surgery the whole night, she tried to smile serenely at her instead.

"It will be best if we only explain the barest of details to Hiashi-sama," said Neji offhand to Hinata. "It will be best if he thinks you are only assigned to a middle level duty if a battle should break out, though I expect he'll wonder why I am not among the other Jonin on the roster for the front duties."

"Hai," Hinata smiled at him "I agree, it would be best to do so, Neji-nii."

X-_X-_X

"The Aburame clan is in the forests," said the Hokage solemnly, looking at the clan leaders sitting before her, the few that she had requested meet with her. "They'll be able to give us as much forewarning as we can be humbled to ask for."

"Tsunade-sama," said Chouza "Are you certain that this startling news is really tidings of war?"

Shikaku, who was sitting beside him, rubbed his chin and nodded along with his old teammate and long time friend. There was a fresh bandage on his bicep, and the tentative scent of Nara medicine floated to Tsunade's nostrils. His mission report said that he'd been poisoned on the way back to the village from his assignment the previous morning.

"I know the feeling of _my_ old teammate," she responded. She looked tired, and something around her eyes was beginning to reflect her true age. "We don't know for certain that it's the snake, however you know what the subterfuge of the Chunin Exams so many years ago felt like. With this new knowledge can you say that it doesn't feel exactly the same?"

"Yondaime-sama," Inoichi closed his eyes, a great crease of old pains crossing his forehead "After all that happened…"

"Of course it feels the same," said Shikaku, looking at both his teammates and then turning a disgruntled eye to his commander "But how can we be _certain_?"

"Strange things," responded Tsunade "Have been occurring in all the lands, all the ninja nations, rogue and official alike. Our friends in sand bring especially troubling news."

Shikaku raised a brow, obviously displeased with the riddle like response. "So there's been trouble in all the lands, is Orochimaru responsible for all of this? Is it confirmed?"

"Not entirely," admitted the Hokage, pursing her lips. "However I am doing what I must as a leader, even if it feels somewhat hasty to some. If we had been hastier several years ago who's to say that my sensei would still be dead?"

Before Shikaku could open his mouth again, Chouza laid one of his over grown limbs on the other man's arms. "We are your loyal troops, Godaime Hokage, lead us as you will, for the protection of our nation."

"Thank you, Chouza," said Tsuande. It was moments like these that made her curse, and made her pride swell, at the fact that she had been made the Hokage.

Inoichi straightened back up in his seat, the demons of his past settling back in their previous place "What are you're orders, leader?"

"It's not much," she said "You're clans are smaller clans, and I don't need the might of large clans for what I want you to do."

The three of them nodded (or in Shikaku's case grunted) and waited for her to continue.

"I want you to lie low in the village," she continued, Shikaku cut her off.

"Our own village?" he asked with much more of an air of swaggering attitude than many other ninja would dare use with their commander.

"Yes," responded Tsunade, her voice asserting some power in response to his tone. "You're team used to be the 'it' team, you could be anywhere, do anything, and surprise the hell out of everyone, whenever you decided you wanted to."

Chouza smiled at the mention of the old days, Inoichi and Shikaku smirking as well. "So you want us to plod around the village and what? Do whatever we want?"

"Make it look like your doing whatever the hell you want," said the Hokage "However while your doing that make sure that this village has no weaknesses from the inside, make sure that the ranks are just that: ranks. Figure out if anything is going on that shouldn't be."

"I can point you in a direction right now," said Shikaku, leaning back in his chair "All you have to do is sniff around your council, and old man Douza."

Tsunade raised a hand, growling to herself. "I have that taken care of; the name of Hokage still means what it must to those that matter."

"Any means necessary?" asked Inoichi, whose families techniques were not allowed to be used on other members of the village unless under defensive purposes.

"Hai," said the Hokage "You're family's techniques," she nodded to Inoichi "And your family's truth serums," she nodded to Shikaku "What ever it takes to make sure we don't have a surprise from within headed our way."

"What about our friends in sand?" asked Chouza "If they are aware of the problems are they expecting an attack as well?"

"I'm not sure," responded Tsunade "Depending on what our teams bring back to us we will either be sending missives to launch a joint rescue…or begging for aid."

Chouza nodded, Shikaku rose from his chair stretching his arm.

"Tsuande-sama?" asked Inoichi softly; an expression on his face that was found on his daughter's from time to time "Is Yondaime-sama going to be expecting visitors?"

"No," said Tsunade "I don't think that's for the best."

"You have you're orders," barked Tsunade, looking at them all the next moment "Dismissed!"

"Hai!"

Tsunade watched their backs with an uneasy feeling. The Hyuuga clan would be watching the walls, the Aburame clan would be watching the forests, and Ino-Shika-Cho would be watching the village. She still couldn't shake her unease; it was one of the curses of being a leader, the constant worry that was seemingly necessary.

She sighed dejectedly, however she didn't have time to past on self pity "Shizune!" she shouted out her door "Get me some sake already!"

X-_X-_X

"All right!" said Naruto "Everyone, we don't know when we'll be leaving, so just prepare for your mission, believe it!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Please tell me _you're_ not leading this are you?"

"Nani!" shouted Naruto "Of course I am!"

Ino put a hand to her face, looking at Shikamaru "Great, Naruto gets to boss us around, what's next? The end of the world?"

"Ino-pig!" shouted Sakura, much more offensive then she intended "You've been given an order; it's our duty as ninja to follow it!"

Ino closed her eyes and grumbled. "Whatever," muttered Neji from the right of them, he put his hand on Hinata's arm. "We'll be ready for the mission, the Hyuuga clan always is."

"He's not even a _chunin_," muttered Kiba, retreating.

Sakura watched in silence as not only the Hyuuga's departed back for the village but also the majority of everyone else. Chouji finally gathered up his chip bags and when Shikamaru gave Naruto and Sakura a sarcastic and lazy salute they and Sai were the only ones left in the clearing.

Naruto let out a deep breath. "That went much better than I expected," said Sakura, scratching her head idly.

"Yeah," said Sai "Dickless didn't do so badly."

The typical reaction bubbled to the surface and Naruto's voice could be heard for the better part of a mile around them, shouting insults back at the dark haired ROOT member. Sakura shook her head and then raised a fist.

"All right! That's enough!"

Sai just smirked, his lips quirked in a manner that suggested that he could say much, _much_ more. Naruto grumbled and began the trek back to the village, stomping off on foot as opposed to taking to the trees. The orange of his outerwear was still blaringly obvious against the dirt path.

Sakura and Sai flanked out on either side of Naruto and the team's pace picked up as they made their way back to the village. Sakura could honestly say she was proud of Naruto, he'd shown her a lot that day. She could feel herself give in a bit to his dreams of the future, after all, who wouldn't want to?

"You know," came Naruto's voice form ahead of her. She couldn't see his face but his voice suddenly had something odd about it. "If Sound does attack us we may be dealing with Sasuke, Sakura."

"Hai," said Sakura, nodding even though she knew Naruto wouldn't be able to see it. Sai looked at her, his odd facial expression disturbing her more than it usually did. "I've thought about it before, Naruto."

"I'll rescue him this time, Sakura," Naruto said, his whole back clenched up "I promise."

"You don't have to, Naru-," Sakura began to say.

"Yes I do!" Naruto barked back, his pace increased even more.

Sakura remained silent for just a moment, pondering what would be the best response to her long time teammate. "Fine, Naruto," she said "Then I'll say it again, we'll rescue Sasuke together, O.K?"

Naruto didn't respond, he simple pulled some chakra together in his feet and then took to the trees, his teammates following him. The faster they returned to Konoha, the faster they met their future, whatever it may be.

"I have family now," murmured Naruto, his voice getting lost on the wind. He ducked his head to avoid a branch and caught Sai doing the same out of the corner of his eye, the usually abrasive boy much more silent than usually, seemingly pondering something. "I will do what I have to do, I'll fulfill every promise I ever made…"

He promised to be Hokage some day, he promised to change the fate of the Hyuuga clan, he promised to help everyone who will ever need it, and he promised to bring Uchiha Sasuke back to Konoha. He clenched his teeth together, his eyes sharpened, and his heart raced.

"Believe it!"

**X-_X-_X**

**So I am far behind on my Shippuden knowledge and I went and looked it up, so definitely this story is going to deviate from the direction that Shippuden is going in, and I'm really going to try to keep as many base facts as the same as I can. However there won't be any plotline from where Sasuke joins Akatsuki or Tsunade falls into a coma or anything.**

**Also, my friend pointed out that the comma in the title of the story is grammatically incorrect and I wanted to explain that a bit so you all didn't think I was a moron. I have it that way because from where the story blossoms is essentially summer. In this, the entire story belongs to the summer, and everything that everyone goes through belongs to that one summer, so I wanted to explain the comma usage as I use it to show ownership.**

**Thanks for reading, definitely expect an update every month, hopefully.**

**AnimeSiren**


	8. Chapter 8

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter 8**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

Yondaime sipped his tea steadily, trying to ease away his feeling of dissatisfaction. It was near dawn, and the sky was in its nighttime to daytime limbo, the world struggling to rise. Iruka was bustling around in the kitchen, apparently he was preparing treats for his class that day, however Yondaime though he was simply making busy activity.

He had been surprised when he rose that morning (marveling once more that he was still alive as his eyes opened, the same as he had done every morning since his resurrection) to find that the school teacher was awake before he was. The man had looked as if he had returned from a mission, and not as if he had just rose from slumber.

Minato smiled. It was obvious that this tanned chunin cared for his little Kakashi very much. Kakashi was still on his scouting mission, though it had been estimated that they would return the morning before. Minato raised an eyebrow as he watched Iruka's pony tail twitch frantically as he scrubbed a counter. Who knew that one man could be so nervous? He has to resist mentioning that most missions strayed over their estimated time parameters.

He turned his head back to the window. His appearance was probably odd. He was sitting, with use of chakra, on the thin windowsill, in a crouched manner, holding his tea. However, it was morning that had always calmed him as he walked to the Hokage's office in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

He closed his eyes. He had spent the day before with Naruto. He knew that manner now compared him and the boy, pointing out their similarities and their predilections for certain manners and activities. However, it was Kushina that Minato saw in Naruto, not himself.

They had had a lot of fun. Naruto had brought him around the village showing him the 'sights' seemingly forgetting that Minato had actually _lived_ in the village before. However he had let himself get dragged around the village without question, and it had paid off as half way through their journey as ''tousan' slipped out of Naruto's mouth.

They had both slowed their walk, Minato in muted, pleasured shock, and Naruto in fear of Minato's reaction. However Minato had let the ear splitting smile spread across his face and they had continued walking, their arms brushing against each other every now and then.

Minato had never seen a person so happy as when he had stopped and gotten a Popsicle for he and Naruto to share, the blazing summer sun beating down on them.

Minato's ears perked when he heard all motion in the kitchen cease. He turned his head just in time to see the smoke of a summoning dissipate into the air. Iruka was staring fixed at his counter. Pakkun had just appeared in the apartment.

"What is it, Pakkun?" asked Iruka, breaking out of his daze.

"Kakashi and the observational team are on their way back," said Pakkun, his voice gruffer than usual "I have an important message for the Hokage."

"Then what are you doing here?" asked Minato, blinking. He straightened and stood properly on the floor, discarding his tea on an end table.

"The brat wants me to tell you to get over there too," said Pakkun, then he sneered "And he wanted me to bring his schoolteacher too."

Iruka blushed and Minato rolled his eyes. "We'll be there; _you_ get on your way to the Hokage."

Pakkun smirked and disappeared in another puff of smoke.

"Guess we should be on our way, ne?" asked Minato, grinning at Iruka. Iruka coughed lightly and then gave an affirmative.

Minato still looked up to observe the rising morning, even as they leaped and ran across the roof tops of Konoha. It was important to observe what was important.

X-_X-_X

By the time that Minato and Iruka had arrived at the office of the Hokage, Kakashi and his team had already arrived. Although it only took them a few minutes to traverse the village it seemed that it still wasn't quick enough to beat homesick warriors.

Anko was actually very quiet, and she had molded herself into one of the room's corners, and had effectively erected an anti-social shield around her. Minato frowned when he noticed this, it was sure to be due to the mission. Having to go and observe the man that had done so much to her? Minato had been Hokage when many of Anko's more traumatizing things had happened to her. He knew what courage it took for her to face the snake.

Ibiki looked normal, if perhaps more serious than was usual, the generally sarcastic nature of his facial features had slipped away. His scars seemed to be whiter against his skin, or perhaps it was his eyes and the way they darkened that made the scars lighter.

Either way it was Kakashi that was the one that looked especially whipped. He gave a sigh and a smile when he had noticed Minato and Iruka entering the room, his eye forming a delighted crescent. However the carefree demeanor misled the body. He was in no position to be carefree. Shizune was working her medical ninjutsu on his even as he reported to the Hokage.

The Hokage nodded to Iruka and bowed her head to Minato and then continued to listen to Kakashi. The two received no other welcome, they simply moved into the room, waiting for action to be taken.

"It was a ninja, one that could replicate himself in a different way than just clones," Kakashi was saying.

"What happened?" asked Minato, his lips set grim.

"I had sent these three to observe Orochimaru's last known compound, as you know," said Tsunade, summing things up "And when they arrived they received a shock."

"We though we were unannounced," said Ibiki, his arms crossed.

"And then they surprised us," finished Kakashi, he tilted his head back as Shizune moved to examine a cut on his face.

Iruka looked as though he was just itching to be at Kakashi's side; however he restrained himself, carefully categorizing each of Kakashi's wounds, and watching what Shizune did.

"There was a ninja inside who made us believe that a majority of Orochimaru's associates were within the compound," continued Kakashi "And he didn't do it with clones, he has some sort of morphing technique, more physical then a genjutsu."

"Dangerous," murmured Tsunade.

"Annoying," countered Anko, breaking her silence. Her face was glowering at anything and everything.

"We didn't realize these facts, and fought," continued Kakashi "We eventually defeated him, and then the shapes around us melted away, and we explored the compound."

"Final debriefing?" asked Tsunade. Her tone was weary and it reflected that she was expecting news that she new she wouldn't like.

"Orochimaru and his people are abroad, on the move," said Kakashi "His compound was completely whipped out, all of his experimentation equipment packed, and there was evidence of a large marching of numbers, not far from the compound."

"I see," mumbled Tsunade, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Orochimaru's on the move," said Minato "And from the sounds of the marching tracks he's making some sort of action."

"Ibiki," said Tsunade rising "Gather ANBU captains, just a few of the better known, and have them meet in the council chambers."

Ibiki nodded, and disappeared.

"Shizune," Tsunade turned to her "Gather the council, I will be addressing them."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," said Shizune in her soft voice.

"What are you planning?" asked Minato offhand, however his facial expression mostly confirmed that he already knew what she was planning.

"It is time that the council recognize the danger we are in," she replied "I told them of Orochimaru's movements before and they said I was being hasty. I need them to understand the risk we are in, and have been in since you're resurrection. Hopefully the presence of the ANBU will help put them in the right mood."

"Fear," murmured Iruka, Tsunade nodded.

"Anko," Tsunade barked "Get to the hospital since you wouldn't let Shizune treat you, and bring Kakashi with you, to finish his treatment."

Anko growled.

"I'll take Kakashi, Hokage-sama," said Iruka tentatively, stepping forward.

Tsunade only nodded. Anko stalked from the room.

"Arigatou," Kakashi murmured privately as Iruka helped him rise from his seated position. He ran a hand down the side of Iruka's face, indulging in a moment of privacy.

Minato watched them leave, an unhappy smile on his face. The war that they were sure to be under soon could destroy a relationship like that. Destroy the happiness that they had gathered. Minato's thoughts darkened as he thought of the danger his son would be in.

"Yondaime-sama," said Tsunade.

"Hai," he said, turning back to face her. The sun had just fully risen, and it shined through the window behind her.

"Care for a quick drink?" she asked, pulling an alabaster jug from one of her desk drawers.

He raised an eyebrow. "The day has just begun."

"I have been in this office since half night," retorted Tsunade "And I think I want a drink before the council meeting."

"Ah," said Minato, an indulging smirk on his face "Then I would be delighted."

Tsunade poured his drink, and they toasted.

"To the ninja path, and those that walk it with chins raised high."

X-_X-_X

Neji and Hinata met in one of the Hyuuga gardens; it was relatively close to the branch quarters. They knew no official missive would have been sent to the Hyuuga leader, as no mission had _technically_ been declared yet, however he would no doubt already be involved in the planning by now, and would expect them to some way be involved.

"Father is expecting us I believe," said Hinata almost too softly.

"Why?" asked Neji.

"He made an offhand comment at breakfast," she replied "I think he must be already strategizing the walls, Neji-nii."

"Definitely," he replied, his pale eyes meeting hers. "It is logical that the Hyuuga will be the ones to watch the walls."

Hinata nodded, and Neji motioned for them to walk, and as they did Hinata laid her hand on Neji's arm, her face down turned.

"Hinata-sama," said Neji, stopping them before they had gone five paces.

"Please don't call me that," she said, she had long lost her stutter (except when in front of her father…or Naruto) but her voice still carried the same tone.

"Hinata," he said, his voice dipping low "Hiashi-sama will not be upset with you."

"He will be furious," she said "He's already angry that I didn't make Jonin, and now to tell him that we will _both_ be doing mid level, unimportant work should a battle arise?"

"I will keep his anger from you," Neji said after a pause. "I promise."

Hinata only nodded, obviously not believing him. "Besides," he continued "He will realize eventually that it is subterfuge for the more important part of the mission, which could land you in the front lines. So his anger could be interpreted as concern for you."

"You're reaching, Neji-niisan," she said, her lips up turning "But thank you."

"You're welcome Hinata-sa….Hinata," he replied.

Their relationship had progressed since all those years ago, however they still couldn't be anything but tentative around each other. However at least now, now they had the knowledge that they each cared.

X-_X-_X

Tsunade glared around the table. Of course they had heard her, of course they knew the dangers of denying her, but were they still attempting to do so? Of course.

"You _don't_ think we should ready the village in case of an attack?" she demanded, her eye twitching. The room was darkened, only lit by a myriad collection of candles, however they could all make out her facial expression clearly.

"Naturally," an old lady replied "Why should we waste our resources, especially when we have a surplus of missions waiting to be under taken?"

"We should 'waste our resources' to protect the lives of this village!" she shouted in return. Her voice echoed of the walls of the room, though not one of the elderly people around the table flinched.

"Where is your evidence?" an old man, next to the woman who had just spoken, countered, his voice a sneer.

"My evidence is around us!" she stood in an instant "You know who has just returned to us, and I lay the complete evidence of our recent observation mission before you, you would be idiots to deny me this!"

"That's enough," said one woman, her voice so weak it was barely above a whisper "Defensive battle measures must be passed by the council except in times of imminent attack or battle. Do well to heed us; you don't have the experience of this office."

"Would you have denied Sandaime-sama this?" Tsunade demanded, breathing heavily, however her voice was much lower. "Would you have denied this movement to him, the same movement that if we had had foresight could have prevented his _death_?"

"No," replied the man who had spoken before "Of course we had years of _trust_ in Sandaime-sama, may his soul rest in the otherworld."

Tsunade only nodded, and then she gave a slight motion of her hand. Immediately, all around the room, ANBU captains began to appear. Their masks were well known by the council, many of them having been heroes honored by the council. They appeared from the walls, from the ceiling and floor, and one rose steadily from the center of the council table, walking calmly atop it to hop down and to stand next to his brethren.

"What is this Tsuande!" the same man demanded, and he stood, taking his cane in hand. "You seek to use force against this council."

"No," she said slowly, she let a harsh grin break across her face; scaring the man "I want to show you how ninja move."

They stared at her, all of them with faces of fear. While they strutted their power around they all had a healthy fear for what just one ninja could do, let along ten ANBU captains.

"Ninja appear from nothing, from shadows and tricks of the eye," Tsunade continued, her voice dipping dangerously. She leant forward on the table. "They use _years_ of finely hones skill to move in and out of planes of fear, taking what they want, killing who they will, and doing as their _leader_ commands."

"If an _army_ of ninja were to take our walls, they'd be within the city in parts of a single moment, they'd be within the heart of our village in mere minutes, and they'd slay us all within hours."

"I will take this village to war time procedures," she said "With or without the approval of this _august_ council."

The man across from her just glared at her, his eyes still moving fearfully from one porcelain mask to the other. "Fine!" he spat.

"It seems that we might as well give our _blessing_," replied the woman next to him, her voice shaky, but still sarcastic "Because you are going to do whatever you want."

"Thank you," said Tsunade, her voice just as sarcastic.

"But," said the man again, attempting to find the courage in his voice "You will send missives to our allied, to Sand, and to the smaller countries, I think it's best if we don't have to rely _solely_ on you for this venture."

"As you wish," said Tsunade, "However know this," her voice became sickly sweet "When this conflict is put to rest it will be my top priority to disband this council, we are a ninja village! We will act as ninjas!"

Mocking a bow she disappeared from the room in a twirl of smoke and leaves, to angry to just walk out. The ANBU motioned to each other before leaving in the same manner.

X-_X-_X

"Yes," said Hiashi from where he was seated on his tatami mat "I am aware of the conflict, you have been assigned roles within this?"

"Hai, Hiashi-sama," replied Neji, bowing his head and looking sideways at Hinata. She was barely controlling herself. One day the fear of her father's disapproval had to end.

"I assume you will be in the front, Neji? Arranging the scouting perimeter?" Hiashi said. He sipped his tea.

"Iie," Neji replied.

"What?" asked Hiashi sharply.

Neji licked his lips, however he kept his face passive "When this battle breaks out, as it is assured that it will, both Hinata-sama and myself will be running missives from the field to the office of the Hokage."

Hiashi's face was hard to read in the next couple of moments. He sipped his tea again, and then ran his eyes in between both Neji and Hinata, fury was not immediately apparent.

"They are squandering your talents?" he asked, his voice low.

"This is the Hokage-sama thinks is b-best," replied Hinata.

"I see."

Neji and Hinata just sat there, Hinata not looking up into her father's face and Neji trying to decipher the man's face.

"I suppose," he said slowly "That it is logical to keep the next generation back some, so as to preserve our village."

Hinata let out a breath, it was almost too audible, and Neji shot her a look.

"You're dismissed. Go train."

They both nodded, Neji bowing, and moved to exit the room, Neji opening the shoji door for Hinata.

"Don't think I don't realize Tsunade's planning," said Hiashi "When the front line falls, as I'm sure she thinks it will, she will expect you, and I imagine your teammates, to catch the battle, and to hold it or win it."

They both moved swiftly from the room.

"Hm," said Hiashi, setting his tea cup down. "Our Hokage knows the might of the village well. She knows the might of this coming generation. Such a smart princess she's proving to be."

X-_X-_X

"Ne, Pakkun," Naruto called from the window. He was outside Kakashi's apartment, hanging upside down and peering in one of the windows. The sun was approaching its noontime position.

The dog itself swiveled his head towards the window, letting out a deep sigh as he did. "Noisy brat," Pakkun had just settled himself down for some well deserved rest, waiting for his brat to get back home.

"What?" he barked louder, letting his irritation bubble all the way to the surface.

"Is the old man in there?" Naruto replied, shouting louder than was necessary to make his voice heard through the window.

"Just come in, Naruto," he grumbled back.

"The window's not trapped?" asked Naruto (again over loudly) his face scrunching up in confusion.

"What does Kakashi tell his kids?" laughed Minato, coming from a side room. Pakkun didn't reply.

"Now that you're out here… you can deal with the runt."

Minato only smiled. He was glad to see his son. He flung the window open the next moment, and then found himself with a pair of arms wrapped around him.

"How're you doing today, kid?" he asked.

"Good, Tousan," Naruto replied. "Ne, where's Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei?"

"Still at the hospital," Minato replied, closing the window "Iruka's probably wrestling Kakashi into a pair of restrains so that the medic-nin can patch him up."

"He wasn't too hurt was he?" asked Naruto, his voice softer with concern.

"No," replied Minato, messing Naruto's hair. "He's fine."

"Good."

"So, ah, you want some lunch?" Minato asked, he glanced over to Kakashi's kitchen. He might be able to prepare something without burning it down. Pakkun snorted, as if he knew what Minato was thinking.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Naruto "Can we go to Ichiraku?"

"Ichiraku?" Minato asked, and then grinned "Sure, much better than my cooking."

"Yosh!" shouted Naruto, Minato grinned, good thing he'd had his accounts returned to him. Though, he still wondered, feeling his face clutch up for a minute, why they hadn't handed them over to Naruto.

"Hey, think we can train after too?" Naruto asked his eyes big.

"Sure, brat," laughed Minato "I think I can whip your butt a few times for you."

"Oh please," Naruto said, he grabbed up Minato's hand and yanked him towards the door. "You know I'm going to be Hokage some day, so I'll be kicking your butt!"

Minato grinned and then raced on ahead of Naruto. "First one to Ichiraku gets to use kunai during sparring."

"Eh?" shouted Naruto "No fair!"

Pakkun grunted as the door to Kakashi's apartment slammed behind the two. "Humans," he muttered "I'll never understand them."

**X-_X-_X**

**Not necessarily on schedule, but here nonetheless. Thanks for reading, and if you review and let me know what you think, then thanks for that too!**

**One a month updates from now on. (Hopefully) I can't do the maybe twice a month think like I promised. I'm too lazy :p.**


	9. Chapter 9

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Nine**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"My men returned early this morning," murmured Tsunade to Minato. He was across from her, standing. The day had broken and Minato had been summoned almost immediately after the sun had been thrust past the horizon.

"Which ones?" asked Minato. The office was quiet. Far too quiet.

"The ones I sent abroad," she replied. There was a soft shuffling outside the door; it was so light that no genin or chunin would have noticed it. It was ANBU telling them that the guard had changed for the day.

"What'd they have to report?" he asked. His hands didn't fidget, and his eyes didn't wander, he was _completely _at attention.

"A myriad of things," she tilted her head down. Her brow furrowed delicately, a hint of color barely showing from the middle of it.

"Smaller nations reported coups of sorts, factions that could be loyal to Orochimaru coming to power in slow struggle plays, Cloud and Rock barred our men," Minato's eyes flashed. He had his theories about this, but he wondered what the woman before him thought of things.

"Have you told the council about this?" he asked instead.

"Of course not," she replied. Her features took on a hedonistic grin for a moment before it filtered off her features. "They no longer need any information concerning this village, they are their own entities."

"What of Sand?" inquired Minato.

"We sent messages to them first, and we haven't received a reply yet," Tsunade said. A delicately painted nail drummed atop her desk.

"I have an idea," said Tsunade slowly, closing her eyes and sighing "it's obvious that things have gone deeper than we previously intended."

Minato made a voiceless noise, urging her forward.

"It is apparent to me that the countries that we haven't been necessarily allied with have been convinced to close their borders to us, as if we were soon going to be under siege and needing aid," Minato nodded along to her statement, he had surmised as much for himself. His stomach knotted itself for a moment. It was odd to see his country in the hands of some other leader when only weeks before it had been in his.

"Sand not returning our message is the more pressing problem," she continued. "If we are attacked it is likely that the ferocity of the battle would have prevented us asking for aide anyway."

"Therefore Sand must be experiencing problems as well, contact from Orochimaru's forces. It only follows the pattern that has begun."

"What pattern?" he asked, his voice going slightly gruff. She seemed less concerned about Sand than he thought was prudent. Sand was their closest ally in this age, a position that they hadn't held when he himself had been Hokage.

"The outlaying lands are being over taken, and whoever is over taking them is making it seem as if it is simple civil war, no outside forces, obviously this is to distract us," she said "The other Greater Nations are turning their backs on us, and our closest ally is now unreachable. It is likely that someone is either interrupting our missives, or someone is disrupting them from within Sand."

There was silence for a few moments. Minato looked at Tsunade, studying her. He didn't feel a rush to reply to her, but he felt that he was missing something all the same.

"You are being too complacent about Sand," he said, judgment heavy on his voice.

"Please," Tsunade said, raising a hand in the air. "I know that is what you believe but you must understand that I'm not."

"I think if you want me to understand than you should tell me what I need to understand," he replied. His normally cheery eyes were steeled. A lot could happen in the decade and a half that he had been absent, who was he to trust the current state of things? For all he knew the princess before him could be working with Orochimaru himself…

"It all revolves around one fact," she said. Her mouth screwed up in a grimace.

Minato cocked an eyebrow, waiting.

"I know my old teammate," she said crossly. "Sand could be another distraction for us. He could be expecting us to detach a team to go to Sand's aide, leaving us with fewer defenses."

"That seems weak," parried Minato "He can't expect us to do such a thing. It would require that we don't know that he is plotting against us, and by the fact that I am standing here we would have intelligence that _someone_ is plotting against the Leaf, meaning that we wouldn't send troops out anyway. We would be doing exactly what we are doing now: nothing."

"Exactly," she said "He knows this as well. He's just exacerbating the situation. He's trying to agitate us."

Minato shook his head, dissatisfied.

"I still think something should be done to help Sand. In the end, battle or not, it's us leaving our allies without allies."

Tsunade probably would have gotten angry with anyone else challenging her decisions. However, she was a person that remembered the might and power of the Yondaime Hokage, and what he could do for his country, and his people.

Minato stood straighter, all soft comforts gone. "I think it is time I take my leave, Hokage-sama," he bowed his head, formally. It was a sign of obedience; however it was almost like a slap to the face for Tsunade.

"Perhaps," she said as Minato turned to take his leave "You would have been able to direct Konoha's might to save both ourselves and our allies, but I cannot, Yondaime-sama, I cannot."

"A leader need only have the _want_ to do something, everything else is relevant."

Minato had the door open, the impervious ANBU guards visible on either side, when Tsunade responded. "You know that you could have taken back the Hokage office at any time. You are alive; you have a legal claim to it."

Minato didn't respond. He truly hoped that Tsunade wasn't about to ask him to do something that he wasn't prepared to do…

"I thank you for not doing so," she said, surprising him. He turned in time to watch her stand and bow low, her palms flat on her thighs.

"_Domo arigatou gozaimasu_."

Yondaime left.

X-_X-_X

The spy watched as the Yondaime's bright head ducked out of Hokage Tower, moving off down the street, ducking between opening vendors. The bright spot managed to blend amongst the wakening masses in a way that many probably wouldn't have expected, however the spy refused to lose sight of the man.

He moved quickly away from the tree he had been positioned in front of, a shadow moving instantly between two buildings, and picking up the trail of the Yondaime Hokage. He moved in exact foot steps, his body automatically mapping his path through the crowd. He couldn't lose sight of the blond man, he refused to.

Like any decent ninja spy he wondered immediately why the Yondaime hadn't taken to the roofs, or jutsu'd to where he needed to go, as the ninja had been afraid of when he first began tailing him. However he didn't have time to focus on the thought, his quarry was changing direction, and after a moment the spy realized he was picking up pace as well.

Shock. Had the spy been found out? His presence masked much more easily in this village that the Yondaime's did, of that he was certain.

He caught the scent of morning sweet buns as he hurriedly swept aside a low flying banner and ducked down around the same corner as the Hokage. He found himself in a back ally, not a suspicious one by itself, it seemed well traveled, and apartments lined on either side.

However there was one apparent problem. There was no Yondaime Hokage in sight.

"Shimatta," the spy muttered, glaring at the sandstone buildings. Had he really been had so easily? He supposed that even with his superior abilities they still didn't match up to those of a _Hokage_.

This also left another problem wide open: Yondaime would evidently know that he was being tailed. The spy's cover was blown. He looked around shiftily as a couple of children playing street games shouted loudly amongst themselves at the other end of the ally.

"Kami-sama," the spy muttered a curse again.

"Can't follow shadows," was muttered quickly into his ear. It was little more than a hiss of air, and when he whirled around the voice was no where in sight.

"You can certainly try," he declared softly to the air in turn.

"I especially didn't think it would be you," the voice hissed from behind him again. However like before when the spy whirled around once more there was no one in sight.

He hadn't ever been the play thing of a Hokage before, and he was fast learning that it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Let me lay my eyes on you," he asked the air "Let me talk to you, and apologize for what-."

"Then look at me!" the voice of Yondaime exclaimed. The spy whirled around for a third time, this time his eyes did alight onto the sight of the most furious Yondaime Hokage. It was a humbling sight; it quelled all bravery that he may have had in his bones, draining it out of him.

The Yondaime stared him down. "Yamanaka Inoichi you are a fool."

"Yondaime Hokage-sama," Inoichi said, his voice was low and mournful. "I am deeply sorry for what I have done. May the kami damn me to the underworld for all eternity as punishment."

"You have realized then that you shouldn't have erased the memories of the medic staff after Kushina and I passed?" Yondaime asked, eyeing the man.

Inoichi froze. His head still bowed low towards the ground. What was the Yondaime speaking of? He watched as a bead of sweat dripped from his face and dried into the Earth below.

"Do you realize now that there was no threat after we were dead?" Yondaime moved closer, his voice whipping out "Do you realize that Naruto would have had a better life if more than just the Sandaime and a few others knew?"

"Yondaime-sama," said the Yamanaka slowly "If that is the crime that you see then I apologize for that as well, but I meant for what happened to Kushina-sama."

Minato cocked his head slightly, observing the man with hooded eyes. What was he missing? He glanced down the ally when he realized that the children were no longer making noise, they were staring down at the two of them, curious eyes watching them.

"Did something happen more to Kushina after I left?" asked the Yondaime carefully "She was fading from the birth when I left...dying right in front of me…"

Inoichi's gulp was audible. "The staff was trying to save her, Lord Hokage; they were doing everything that they could…"

"What happened?" asked Yondaime sternly. He glared down at the man, still bowed over in an apologizing position. "Stand up," he spat.

"Lady Kushina began to struggle with paranoia," Inoichi struggled with saying the words, words that were soon going to invoke a dangerous anger in the man before him. Inoichi honestly thought that the Yondaime had already known. "She began to become hysterical, her blood pressure was beginning to cause hypertension, and she was struggling too much for the medic-nin to help. So I…stepped in."

All color left the Hokage's face. Inoichi closed his eyes. He much preferred his position parallel with the ground; he couldn't stand to look the man before him in the face. "I thought they would be able to heal her…I thought that I would be able to _reverse _it."

Yondaime regarded the nearly sobbing man with trepidation. "What happened, Yamanaka Inoichi?"

Inoichi let out a slow breath, forcing his eyes open. He would look the blonde man in the face, if only for it to be a punishment to him. "I removed all memory of everything that was causing her turmoil. _Everything_. Kushina-sama, my Lord, Kushina-sama…she died not knowing of you, and not knowing she gave birth. She didn't know she gave birth to her baby boy."

Inoichi searched the Yondaime's face, tears leaking their way down his own face the entire time. He didn't feel he was even worthy of the salt staining his face, he wasn't worthy of the regret that he carried in his heart and soul. He wasn't worthy to stand in Minato's very presence.

"You Yamanakas really are fools," replied the Yondaime tersely after a few tense moments. "Do you honestly believe that in her heart Kushina had forgotten about what mattered to her most?"

"I took the memories away myself," replied the other man. His face sagged in onto itself, wrinkles, signs of his age, showing them selves even more starkly against his visage. "She is in the otherworld, bereft of memories that detailed the end of her life."

"When I saw Kushina's face after that red headed medic-nin put Naruto in her arms I saw the connection that she and he forged together," Yondaime's voice was soft, and his eyes were seeing a moment that was fifteen years in the past.

"Yamanaka, I don't think that Kushina's heart would have ever truly forgotten her son," he closed his eyes briefly "Or me."

Inoichi didn't know what do say. He had been prepared for fury, absolute and unending fury. He wasn't sure what was meant by Yondaime's seemingly calm assurance. Had the regret that he'd carried all these years truly meant nothing?

Yondaime heaved a sigh, his eyes losing their usual sparkle. His form almost looked the age that it was supposed to look in the present time. It was obvious that many worries lay upon the shoulders of the Yondaime Hokage. He turned.

"You're forgiven, Yamanaka," he said "Don't worry."

Inoichi nodded once, and then bowed low once more. Fresh tears leaked from his face. He didn't rise again until after he felt Yondaime's presence leave him.

Minato couldn't deny that that exchange hadn't meant something to him. He took to the roofs like any normal ninja, intent on meeting his son at the sparring grounds. Had this Yamanaka, a man who wasn't intimately concerned with past events, really been carrying such heavy guilt?

Yondaime felt emotion well in his chest. He didn't deny the few tears that escaped down his face, or the image of Kushina's eyes, looking at her baby boy for the first time, from taking over his mind for the remainder of his journey.

He exhaled.

X-_X-_X

Tsunade sensed the disturbance, and heard the mass moving on the city before the ANBU guard, sent from the gate guards, appeared in her office, baring the news.

She sighed and looked to the Black Ops member "Turtle?"

"A large population of warriors and civilians moves on the gate, Lady Tsunade," he replied hurriedly, the need for politeness the only thing slowing him down.

"Civilians?" questions Tsunade sharply. That was the surprise, she had assumed that Sound had come to attempt to destroy them all, but _civilians_ didn't fit in that thought.

"My Lady," The ANBU's normal calm and monotonous voice was working against something "It is the forces of Suna!"

"Suna?" gasped Tsunade "Do you mean…" she paused "Are they attacking?"

"No," said the ANBU member "They look as if they've already gone through battle, Godaime-sama," he said "The Kazekage is leading them…and reports have claimed him as heavily wounded."

Tsunade blinked rapidly. Her limbs felt limp, her earlier conversation with Minato coming back to her mind. "Get them within the walls, and then close the gates once more."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," said the guard "And the Kazekage?"

"Bring him and his guard here, I'll treat him myself," she said, waving her arm. Her loyal soldier disappeared in an instant, and she turned hurriedly back towards the window. She could make out the lines of black that stretched from her north gate outward.

"Yondaime-sama was correct," she furrowed her brow "In a way."

She was very thankful though that their allies were able to seek refuge with them, if they had been trapped within their own city then Konoha would have been unable to help them. She also thought, somewhat regretfully, that this meant that they had more defenses for their walls.

Orochimaru would pay for this, if he was the one responsible, which, Tsunade reflected, she had little doubt of.

X-_X-_X

"There was no warning," The Kazekage's voice rasped out. His breath was unnecessarily hoarse, though it seemed more from hate then from the massive wounds his body was already healing without Tsunade's help.

"There had to be something," she said "Some sort of indication that we can look out for?" Her brow furrowed as she channeled more chakra into the gaping hole in the Kazekage's side.

There were more people in her office than she was comfortable with at the moment, but there was little that she truly wanted to do to change it. There were elite Suna-nin scattered around the room, a guard for the Kazekage. His siblings were leaning against the walls; looking more haggard than any of the other Suna-nin, save for the Kazekage. In addition to the shinobi from Sand her own ANBU guard was within the office as well as Ibiki, the Yondaime Hokage, several of her elite jonin, Shizune, and to her anxiety Jiraiya as well.

"No," he rasped again. His eyes were his own but she could feel remnants of the raccoon's chakra swirling dangerously with his own in the air. A silent rage. "They came from beneath the sand, and from the skies."

"It was like they came out of thin air," muttered Temari. She had a large cut over her eye that had long ago stopped bleeding, but had left a large bruise and dried blood along the side of her face.

"Impossible," muttered Tsunade in defiance. She paused in her ministrations and wiped sweat from her brow. The Kazekage would heal fine given a few hours more rest. Between her healing and his body's natural bijou speed he had already healed beyond her expectations. When he was brought to her office he had just regained consciousness.

"It is all too possible, Hokage-sama," Gaara replied in a terse voice as she wrapped his abdomen in bandages. "We had to flee our village, our home. I am not making up the severity of the situation, or exaggerating it."

Tsunade closed her eyes briefly. She understood that she was pushing them in an emotionally compromising moment, but they _had_ to realize that there _must_ have been _some_ kind of indication "Gomen nasai, Kazekage-sama."

He waved a limp hand in the air as if it didn't matter.

"Kankuro," Gaara said softly "How many civilians made it out?"

Kankuro, his face paints smeared with sweat across his face, took a moment before answering. "About seventy five percent were able to leave with us."

Gaara closed his eyes, laying a hand on his chest. If Tsunade hadn't known better she would have thought that his wound had reopened "Only…seventy five percent?"

Temari put a hand to her face. Shikamaru, who had arrived with Kakashi, moved subtly closer to her, his hand winding with her unused one in an unusual sign of comfort. Seeing your village over run was not a light thing for anyone to experience, even for a ninja to experience.

"This was Orochimaru then?" asked Minato slowly, eyeing the other members of the room with some extent of trepidation. His situation had been explained, hurriedly, but he was still weary of the Sand-nin. There had been a different hierarchy in Sand when he had last come in contact with them.

"Undoubtedly," said Kankuro, oddly he was very well put together. "He and his forces were monstrous…many trusted, good warriors were lost."

He hung his head, maybe he wasn't as well put together as he seemed.

"We'll need you to describe to us who you can remember was present in their forces, and their powers," said Ibiki "So that we may prepare ourselves."

Gaara gave a short growl and sat up, off the futon that had been laid out on the floor of the Hokage's office. "Kankuro, see to that," he said, jerking his chin towards the door. Ibiki, Kankuro, and two of each sides ANBU warriors departed the room.

"Where's Naruto," asked Gaara. He looked, furtively, around at the members of the room.

Minato raised a brow. How was it that the leader of their closest ally knew his knucklehead of a teenaged son? There was much he had missed…

Tsunade likewise had a pause of surprise. Perhaps she underestimated the boys' connection to one another? It was certainly an alliance that would strengthen their nations even more than they already had been.

"My son's helping with the civilians," said Minato, turning to look at Kakashi briefly "With Iruka-sensei I believe?" at Kakashi's brief nod he said "Yes, with Iruka-sensei."

Gaara simply nodded, propping an elbow on his knee he fisted a hand of hair. His tattoo exposed itself for all to see.

"Shikamaru," said Tsunade after a pause. The man she was speaking to didn't jump, or show any outward sign of surprise. He simply huffed, subtly withdrew his comforting hand from Temari's and turned to look expectantly at the Hokage.

"It seems we need your genius again," she said, by way of explanation. The eyes in the room turned on Shikamaru.

"What's new?" muttered the half grown man. He spent most of his off days in and out of the Hokage office, some visiting dignitary or mission required the consultation that only Konoha's legendary rookie genius seemed to be able to provide.

"Knowing what we know about Orochimaru-narcissism, sadism, and unpredictability-what can we expect from this move?" she gestured to the Kazekage and the other Sand-nin "Did he expect an escape or not?"

"And you don't already have a theory on this?" asked Shikamaru, rubbing his chin. He cast a covert glance around at the faces watching him. I slight flush rose on his cheeks.

"We had reports that Sand was being bothered before this, and we did not immediately dispatch a group to see to it," if she was expecting a rebuke from Suna on these actions she didn't receive one "After thinking on it it's my opinion that he was displeased with this-and we can readily guarantee that it is Orochimaru behind these dealings-so he moved to take on Suna, expecting to crush it."

Shikamaru's eyes hovered on the Hokage a moment before he blinked slowly "That is my opinion as well, mostly, which leads me to think that you don't really need it. A Hokage is a master of strategy after all, ne?"

If Tsunade thought that Shikamaru was being sarcastic she didn't call him on it. Her eyes however did narrow over something else entirely "Mostly?" she asked.

Shikamaru shrugged "I don't think he cared whether any one escaped Suna at all."

"What?" demanded Temari. Gaara's face shifted to look at him as well, echoing the question in a second way.

Shikamaru inched further from the kunoichi at his side "It's obvious he did it as an intimidation tactic. He wanted to rattle us, probably reduce some allies, but if he truly cared that the populace that escaped actually managed to then he would have no doubt had them pursued."

Shikamaru's voice was lazy, as usual, and…confident.

Tsunade webbed her hands together, her eyes baring a shrewd look. If the council had any doubts that she was a leader they would have been assuaged in that moment. She was as fierce, as prideful, and as baring of leadership as she ever had been.

"Shikamaru, Kakashi," she barked "Show our allies to quarters where they may rest and recover, and then report back." It was a dismissal. She nodded and most of the remaining Leaf-nin flanked the departing Suna-nin as well. It left Ibiki, Kurenai, and Genma in the room with her. The ANBU also formed shadows along the well.

She glowered at them.

"Ibiki," she said, motioning abruptly with her right hand "Ready ANBU, it is obvious that conflict is just off the horizon. We may have a single day or we may have ten, but we need to prepare for war _now_."

He nodded, disappearing.

"Kurenai," she heaved a heavy sigh after saying the name. "For obvious reasons," the Hokage's eyes dropped to the woman's still flat abdomen "You will not be on the front lines, but I have a special request that you, and the other master genjutsu workers need to start on immediately."

Kurenai bowed her head. She was waiting for clarification or the orders that she accept the mission parameters later, in privacy. The Hokage chose the first.

"Konoha's walls have rarely fallen in the past," she began "However I want a masterful trap lain if they should fall now. A trap of the mind that will surely have our enemies defenseless, and begging for death, that is what I want you to create."

Kurenai nodded, and disappeared in the same manner as Ibiki. She knew that her assignment would be just as important as the shinobi meeting the front of any incoming assault. The Hokage trusted her with that much.

"Genma," she said slowly. The name stretched with her voice.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?" he asked. His senbon gave a few jaunty leaps.

"I have something planned for you, and your useful knowledge of poisons," she said "Report back here after you've fetched Shizune from the hospital, you, Kakashi, Shikamaru and her will be working on this one."

She barely batted an eye as he disappeared as well. She held in a grave sigh as she looked around at the only remaining faces in the room, the stoic porcelain staring right back at her. She had some work to attend to before her loyal men returned, for council and another battle strategy that she hoped was going to be up to the coming onslaught.

She never asked to be Hokage, she never asked to be given responsibility, but looking into those solid porcelain masks she knew what she would do for the office. She would die in the midst of fierce war as the Yondaime had seemed to do. She would die besieged as the Sandaime had done. It all basically came down to the fact that when it was time for her to give up her dawns for something she had never really wanted: she would be ready to do so.

**X-_X-_X**

**Any reviews are appreciated; I read and respond to all! : )**

**The bowing form that Tsunade had taken that you might find odd is a formal **_**sumimasen**_** position. In present day it's used in Japan when people are throwing themselves on the mercy of someone's authority. It's a somewhat polite way to say that you're apologizing and your begging on their honor to let you off.**

**Also, I've said it before and I'll note it again. I'm totally not following the storyline because my ideas started years ago, and it's been far too long to make the story contemporary, so obviously Sasuke will not follow the path that he did in the canon.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Ten**

**Enjoy**

**X-_X-_X**

Minato suppressed, or at least attempted to suppress, the wide grin that kept forcing itself across his face. Of course he was more nervous than he thought he had ever been in his life, save the day his son was born, but he was pretty confident of his odds.

After all, why wouldn't Naruto want to live with him?

He applied pressure to his right hand arm, steering his son to the left some, so that he would walk straight through the open doorway that was before them.

"Can I take this blindfold off yet, old man?" Naruto griped. For being a fifteen year old ninja the boy sure knew how to hold a fit like a pre-genin.

"In a minute," snarked back Minato, he forced a fake huff, which didn't help at all with his grin suppression.

"You said this was some sort of super cool ninja training," Naruto spat back, his heels digging down some, forcing Yondaime to apply more pressure to keep him moving.

Minato lost the battle with his grin. His son didn't seem too angry though, his son (His son! How he felt overjoyed at being able to say that!) actually seemed more curious than anything, which is exactly what Minato would expect of the boy that he'd been spending days in crash courses getting to know.

"Think of it as ninja training," supplied Minato, gaining nothing more than a sarcastic non-committal grunt in reply.

They were awake a couple hours before dawn—something that Naruto had protested vehemently—and were making their way to a more quiet part of town, for something that Minato had very strong feelings about. Barely anyone was awake at this hour, early merchants being the only people they tangibly met on their way.

Minato could feel the eyes of every ninja they passed though, whether the ninja were peering at them from a rooftop or staring unabashedly from a darkened ally way. He didn't really care that much, but still, he'd like to move on with his own business. It was very important business after all.

"Almost there," murmured Minato, his grin only widened as he spotted the building they had been heading for. His eyes found his son again as he moved to steer him in another direction, feeling a certain amount of parental pride when the boy seemed to sense the shift before Minato had even flexed a muscle.

"Thank Kami-sama," shot Naruto over his shoulder. "You got some weird habits, old man."

"Don't call me old," Minato shot back on reflex.

Naruto made a dismissive noise, shaking his head slightly.

Minato took a moment to look at the building in front of him in suppressed anxiousness. It wasn't a grand building, it was normal, three floors, it matched the rest of the street and was unlikely to be paid undue attention, and from a ninja point of view it was easily defensible. The previous owner had used it at a tenant building, but with easy remodeling it was the perfect picture of a large family home.

Or so he hoped. He eyed the long dead plant boxes that lined the third floor balcony with disdain. The previous owner had obviously forgotten to remove them, and he hoped Naruto wouldn't notice.

He rolled his eyes at himself and snatched the blindfold off Naruto's face before he could stand there a moment longer in unconfident self worry.

"This is it," Minato said, he grinned and spread his arms in obvious satisfaction.

Naruto eyed the building quietly, taking in every ounce of it before turning to look at Minato. He put his hands on his hips and then looked the older man over from head to toe.

"You've finally gone out of your mind, eh old man?"

Whatever Minato had been expecting that certainly wasn't it. "What the hell do you mean, squirt?"

Naruto's eyes squinted at the 'squirt' but he let it pass in a show of good humor. "You've got us standing in front of an apartment building."

Minato raised a brow.

Naruto continued "I don't know whether you think some big baddies are just going to jump out of it for us to train or what, but really old man, you probably should see granny."

Minato chuckled low, and let out a great breath, he obviously should have expected that Naruto wouldn't get it right away.

"I don't need to see Tsunade," he said slowly, stressing the fact "And I already told you this wasn't for training, open your ears!"

Naruto's eye twitched "Oi!" he said loudly, a man unloading crates across the street paused to eye him distastefully, probably not even recognizing Yondaime "My ears are open, it's not my fault their just not keeping up with your loony rambling!"

Minato rolled his eyes and then ruffled Naruto's sharp, spiky locks, his hand being brushed off easily. Naruto took his hands from his hips and then cross them in front of his chest, looking at Yondaime expectantly.

Well, Yondaime surmised to himself, they can't just stand outside all day; they might as well go in.

"Come on," he said heavily, moving past Naruto and taking a small ring of keys out of a side pocket. He moved towards the main door, slipping the key into the hole easily, and brushed the door open with no objections. Inside the main hall was a staircase to the right, leading upwards, but there was obviously a new wall erected on that landing, its paint much clearer than the rest of the walls, and Yondaime knew that beyond it lay a newly erected common area, for tea or lounging.

"What are we doing here?" demanded Naruto, looking around with interest. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked around with wide eyed curiosity.

"Well, that depends," replied Minato rounding and closing the door, the light of the graying skies flickering in easily through the clear panes of glass.

"The suspense is killing," Naruto quipped sarcastically. He raised a blond eyebrow, as if to say 'hurry it up'.

"I bought the building."

"You bought the building?"

"Yes," Minato replied firmly, nodding his head once.

"Why?" asked Naruto incredulously "It too small for any intense training."

Minato felt like cuffing the boy, he really did. Did Naruto really have no idea or common sense about what Minato was trying to do here? He supposed he'd have to be the one to bypass his petty insecurities and spell it out for the boy.

"To live."

Naruto nodded, confusion marring his brow and turning his usual easy expression into a frown. "Oh," was all he said.

"Naruto," groaned Minato, shaking his head and putting a hand to his face in exasperation. "I'm trying to ask you if you want to live with me or not."

There was a near audible beat of silence, a few beats actually, a few beats that stretched into rather _long_ beats.

"Naruto?" ventured Minato quietly after waiting as long as his insatiable curiosity could. The boy's expression was surprisingly hard to read. It looked as if he were staring at Minato in mute shock, but there was something much harder and _suspicious_ underneath his expression.

"You want me to live…with you?" asked Naruto slowly, as if he were trying to figure something out.

"_Yes_."

"Huh," Naruto said, finally deciding on what words would be the next to come out of his mouth.

"All you have to say is 'huh'?" demanded Minato. He felt his stomach clench with a feeling that he normally didn't get outside of battle. He had been so damn _sure_ that Naruto would be O.K. with this.

"I just," Naruto paused, and looked away from Minato quickly. He opened his mouth a second time and then closed it again, he fidgeted uneasily. "I just didn't think it was a…possibility."

Minato blinked "Well it took some time for Tsuande-chan to unfreeze my accounts but I didn't think it'd take forever."

Naruto finally looked back up at Minato, hesitantly from under his eye lashes. "You're being serious old man, right? Not trying to be an ass and make a joke or anything right?"

"Why would I try to trick you? I'm being serious, Naruto!"

"So am I."

Minato felt an odd flutter and then his arm rose to automatically clutch around his shorter son's left shoulder. "Naruto, I really want you to live with me. You are my son, and I want the opportunity to try to be a father."

Minato felt Naruto's shoulder relax under his hand, but still for a tense moment Minato wasn't quite sure what Naruto's answer would be. He didn't have to wait long though.

"I know most ninja don't live at home by this point-," Minato tried to being after another awkwardly tense moment. He took his hand off Naruto's shoulder hesitantly, and brought it to the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'd love to old man, believe it!"

'Ha,' thought Minato after a moment off pure unadulterated happiness 'Don't know what I was so worried about.'

X-_X-_X

"But will it work?" Kakashi mused softly to himself.

He shifted slightly in his kneeled position at the table, he wasn't generally one for sitting politely, however he was feeling far from relaxed enough to sit liberally, even in the apartment of his partner. He shifted his gaze to the open window, the light summer breeze having its usual allure to the apartment's inhabitants.

"Nani wa?" asked Iruka, sticking his head out of the kitchen "What's that Kakashi?"

Kakashi turned his head from the window, his usual disarming smile coming to his face with little to no effort "Nothing, koi, just a shout from the street."

Iruka made a humming noise, turning back to the kitchen and reappearing a moment later with a tray of tea. The schoolteacher was positively charming in his casual clothing. He had stripped from his uniform the moment he had arrived back to his apartment, and was in a light summer yukata by the time Kakashi had dropped in.

He sat the tea down on the low table before moving to take a kneeling position across from Kakashi. At the last moment Kakashi yanked lightly on the man's yukata, making him take an unorthodox seat next to him instead. Iruka blushed lightly, Kakashi grinning.

Iruka cleared his throat "They've closed the Academy."

Kakashi smirked at the obvious distraction and then inquired politely as he was supposed to do "Already?"

Iruka nodded "The council would have suggested that the students be trained up to be the last line of defense should the town fall into the hands of the enemy."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow; he had no doubt that's exactly what the council would have wanted Tsunade-sama to do "But now?"

Iruka smiled softly, pouring tea into Kakashi's cup "They've been sent into the mountains, and if we're taken they'll be evacuated to preserve our history and teachings."

Kakashi accepted the cup easily, brushing his fingers against the other man's hand tenderly. He took a sip, keeping Iruka's gaze steadily. "Isn't the Hokage the one that bares all our village's wisdom and teachings?"

Iruka rolled his eyes lightly. "You know Tsunade-sama even better than I. Do you really think she's not going to go down with her men?"

"Of course not," Kakashi smirked, pouring Iruka a cup.

"Jackass," muttered Iruka, shaking his head. Despite his words a lopsided grin came across his face.

Kakashi opened his mouth, unclothed as he had become wont to do in the presence of Iruka, and then closed it again. What he was about to say was against his usual ideals, but he had been attempting to imbue more trust in his life. He decided just to blurt it out.

"The Hokage has Genma and I working on a very specific trick for the upcoming battle, whenever it reaches us."

Iruka paused, his cup on the cusp of his lips. "Should you be telling me this?" he asked awkwardly.

Kakashi shrugged "I trust you," he said by way of explanation.

Iruka felt a small bubble of warmth well up in his abdomen, Kakashi had been in this 'trusting' phase more and more lately, and it was both unsettling and delightful at the same time. He let the tea slip its way down his throat and waited for Kakashi to continue.

"It's a blood poison," said Kakashi slowly, he sent his chakra towards the open window, feeling to make sure there were no eavesdroppers.

"Blood poison?"

"It hasn't been used since the war with Rock," continued Kakashi "It's really quite simple."

Iruka made noise for Kakashi to continue.

"What happens is bloods of the village, the people that carry this villages blood, are imbued with a poison jutsu that protects only their blood, which becomes poison to anyone not carrying their blood."

"That's what Lady Tsunade wants to do?" asked Iruka, it certainly didn't seem like much.

"It's only one of her tricks for the battle," responded Kakashi, his voice took on some of his usual droll. "It's actually generally effective, there are many warriors who actually take special care to interact with the blood of their enemies, making sure to touch it as it is spilled or…to taste it."

"So it will poison an enemy?"

"Hai," said Kakashi

"Interesting," said Iruka, he actually looked somewhat nauseated though.

Kakashi laughed. "So what are your plans for the rest of the day—koishii?"

Iruka put his tea down, raising a brow at the huskiness in Kakashi's voice. "Well…nothing. At least until we all have to report for our wartime duties later."

"Hmm," murmured Kakashi "How—beneficial."

X-_X-_X

Minato stared at the object in Tsunade's hands in what he was sure was an expression of pure shock and awe. It had been a long time since he had seen the object, even counting back from his own memories instead of real time.

It was the mask of ANBU member Fox.

He found it ironic now, as he was sure he did the day of the Kyuubi attack, that when he was an ANBU captain he had carried the mask of Fox. The Yellow Flash had carried many masks in his lifetime, and after his death, but this was the one mask that would always carry him as well.

"I'm wondering what you mean by giving me this," Minato said slowly. He took the porcelain mask from Tsunade's hands with great ceremony, running his hands over its smooth expanse with a slow ease.

He could almost feel the shadows of the past seeping out of the mask and into him. Its bright orange markings flashed and brought his mind back to other times, he was so involved in studying this piece of his past that he almost missed Tsunade speaking.

"You were never officially released from the ranks of ANBU Black Ops." She said. "No one has worn the mantle of Fox since you."

Minato raised a brow, forcing a smile onto his face and the chill that the mask brought back to him off. "Well when you become Hokage it's sort of a given."

Tsunade grinned, scoffing, and crossed her arms. "Whatever just take it, you brat. I have ulterior motives for giving it back to you anyway."

Minato moved to slip it into a pocket. When a person spent years in ANBU those years don't ever leave you. The Fox mask presents a smooth and united front, but what it did to him when he wore is was so very much the opposite. The mask felt heavy in his pocket.

Out of sight, out of mind, his mind whispered to him.

Minato turned back to Tsunade, giving her a lopsided grin "Ulterior motives? That sounds promising."

Tsunade grinned wryly. "Nobody save Ibiki and the previous director of ANBU knows that no one has worn this mask since you, and only a longtime member of ANBU could figure it out from everyday work."

Minato nodded "You sound like that gives us an advantage."

Tsunade grinned conspiratorially "It does."

"When this battle breaks it would be best if you were to stay here, protected at all costs—."

Minato opened his mouth to protest, his eyes narrowing and his face reddening.

"But," Tsunade continued interrupting her interrupter, "I know that's not going to happen, so this way you will be present at the battle, and you will blend yourself amongst the ANBU."

Minato saw the thinking behind the idea, it was a good idea. He would be able to blend in fully…he paused. He wouldn't be able to blend in fully.

"Unless I'm skirting around the battle like a spy how to you think that I'm going to blend in even with a mask?"

"You'll be dressed exactly as the other ANBU, I don't see a problem."

"My hair isn't exactly a common feature of Konoha," Minato said dryly. His fingers thrummed against his side and the pocket that contained the porcelain mask.

"The majority of the ANBU members will be wearing their cloaks," Tsunade shrugged.

"Their agility and abilities to fight will be impeded," he pointed out.

"Marginally," she countered. "These are trained ANBU warriors, or have you forgotten?"

"Sassing our elders are we?" he smirked.

"Elders my ass," she said, swatting a hand through the air.

"Alright," he said after a moment, looking decidedly out into the afternoon light and the village that was silhouetted against it. "I'm all for this, let's do it!"

Tsunade couldn't help the broad smile that managed to work its way across her face. Like father like son. They were truly a pair of enigmatic individuals.

"I have to brief my men soon," she said, leaning forward and folding her hands together, trying to force some semblance of tranquil composure into herself. "I trust you'll be keeping that mask."

Minato rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands down in his pockets and striding to the door "It's in my pocket isn't it?"

"Brat," Tsunade spat as she turned to pick up a folded message that waited for her on her desk. The duties of Hokage were never complete.

Minato's right hand brushed up and down the smooth porcelain stowed in his pocket all the way back to the home he now shared with Naruto.

X-_X-_X

"We're tasked with facing Orochimaru once more," Tsunade shouted out above the heads of her gathered men.

They were in a cavern just below the city streets. Not every ninja was gathered there to receive instructions, the walls had to be monitored after all, but it was the largest gathering of the ninja of the village since Sarutobi's funeral.

ANBU captains formed an outer ring on the cavern, weaving in and out of the stalagmites with an invisible grace only available to them. Elite Jonin and other Jonins stood out in the crowd, their heightened senses and reknown making others look to them at this time. Chunin talked amongst one another, all except Iruka who stood stock still next to an equally still Kakashi. There were even Jonin senseis there; one's who would bring order's to their genin teams if they themselves weren't needed elsewhere.

Konoha was prepared to give its wartime instructions.

"I can't tell you how the battle that we will most certainly be facing will end, but I can assure you that as ninja of Konoha we will make it an ending that we can be proud of!"

Yondaime slipped down in between two ANBU captains, his late arrival going unnoticed by anyone accept the ANBU he weaved in and out of, and only the tensing of their shoulders gave way their acknowledgement. He swept his eyes around the gathered crowd, his mouth lifting upwards in a prideful grin when he spotted his son smack dab in the middle of the masses, watching his leader with rapt attention.

"We will burn with the fire of our nation—either with our deaths, or with our conquering victories!"

His son would most likely be given acting chunin status during the battle, he'd be able to move easier that way, not restrained by the command that his peers would have at their own hands. His gaze shifted away from his son, drifting with a lethargic feeling, and his blue orbs found Kakashi. The man was standing in a familiar position, it was the same position as many of the other men and women in that cavern—the position of the ones who had survived a battle like this before, a war.

"Orochimaru was a member of this village, which is something that we can't forget. We bred the man, our blood; it is our duty to remove him from the world, to take care of the problem that has claimed countless lives."

Next to Kakashi were countless other's that Minato now recognized, some were children in his time, and some looked nearly the same. Nostalgia crept up on him as he realized the magnitude of the event before him. It was reminiscent of the Kyuubi attack, that same feeling of staled adrenaline and unlighted fires.

Minato had lived through countless skirmishes with Cloud, a war with Rock, more years in ANBU than were deemed healthy, and he had been felled in the attack of the Kyuubi. He looked out above the heads of the crowd and vowed that he wouldn't let himself, his renewed life, be felled at the hands of the man who was seemingly responsible for it.

"Konoha has a legacy like no other ninja village, and it is a great legacy! We think faster, we act faster, we dedicate ourselves faster, and we've survived more than any other. Even if many of you can't comprehend what has gone on in the last couple of weeks, especially in the last couple of days, know and understand that at this very moment, with Orochimaru…"

Minato had a life now, a life that he refused to mentally weigh with what he had before, it was a life that he wanted to submerse himself in. He wasn't the Hokage here; he was a citizen, a member of a community of ninja that could protect the village as just another man. He had a son that was brilliant, not a tactician, but still smart as a whip, he was strong, and he had values that even the mountains couldn't rival.

Kakashi, his student, and for all intents and purposes a man just like a son to him, was healing from wounds that Minato had had to witness himself. The village was a bleeding heart open to all of her ninja, urging them on to greatness. Minato knew that his bonds would be tested; he knew there was a chance that the last few days were his last, and he knew that the coming days could very well be the last for his son and those others that he cared about.

However that didn't matter. The cold hard facts never mattered when they needed to. This was so because of one simple reason.

He was a ninja, and he was prepared accept that fact, and battle with it.

He was a ninja.

"…we are at _war_! We are ninja. I am your Hokage, and now I am asking you, before I give you your mission, before we find a battle at our walls, before we lose loved ones and see destruction wrought once more, are you ready to defend your village?"

Tsunade's shout was met zealously. Minato grinned, weaving behind a stalagmite, and understood a little more why Sarutobi had had so much faith in that particular student of his. She had broken a part of herself away, and left a strong leader, capable of stirring her armies, in her wake.

There were shouts of affirmation and glee, fists pounding up into the air, and bodies jumping with irrepressible emotion. The village was prepared to lay their throats bared to their leaders, and Minato knew that later that night when orders were passed from commander to follower, no one in the village would protest their strategized place in the coming battle, the battle that seemed to loom ever closer even though they were blind to its approach.

"Tonight we have much to celebrate. A hero has been returned to us, and we will take this sign of good luck and blessing with us when we're forced to fight the snake and his serpents. Tonight, though, we will have a festival that's cheer will still be budding at your lips a year from now."

Minato missed the rest of Tsunade's direction, though he was nearly deafened by the returning uproar of the men gathered. He grinned though, crossing his arms and sinking back into the shadows.

They were at war, but first one last night of naïve jubilation seemed a good idea.

"Victory for Konoha," Minato murmured, his eyes lit with fire and the next moment his voice rose to join the throng of shouted exultation

**X-_X-_X. **

_**Thank you to all that read this chapter, I'm going to be going back to edit earlier chapters, I'm attempt to fix my writing style, modifying the old with the new, and also attempting to garner more interest in this story. I realized that there seemed to be a period of time where I was in a fanfiction writing fog, and I only uploaded filler chapter after filler chapter. I'm going to correct that the closer I get to finishing this story.**_

_**If you have any thoughts or comments I urge you to review, I look forward to feedback of all kinds, and I even grudgingly look forward to feedback of the truly negative kind.**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	11. Chapter 11

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Eleven**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"Tch," Naruto swatted a hand through the air lazily, leaning forward to rest his arms on the rail to the bridge. "None of those Sound-nin will stand a chance, believe it."

"Gonna' take them all out on your own are you?" His father's huskier voice replied, the man chuckling some as he moved up to take position next to Naruto.

They were on the small bridge that Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke had spent hours of their childhood waiting for Kakashi on. It had a different purpose that night though; the warm summer air would suffice as a nice quiet setting for them to watch the fireworks of the festival.

Naruto jutted his chin out, eyeing Minato with one wide cerulean eye. "I'm going to be Hokage someday," he said "I can take them out all on my own."

Minato rubbed his chin as he laughed at Naruto's over confident tone. He knew that his son realized that he couldn't actually take out all of sound on his own, but his indifference to that fact warmed Minato's chest more than the burn for the upcoming battle.

"Konoha's the strongest ninja nation," assured Naruto, watching his whispered reflection in the water below "We've got more talent that they could dream of."

"I don't disagree," Minato smirked "We're definitely the most stubborn nation out there. Nations have been trying to destroy and infiltrate us for years, and not a single one had succeeded."

Naruto rolled his head sideways and looked at the old man for a minute, making a guttural noise of surprise when he nearly fell of the ledge he was clinging to. He'd never much paid attention to the lessons Iruka-sensei had rambled on about their history back at the academy, but he figured that was something his dad had needed to know as Hokage.

"Hmm," Naruto hummed to himself. It was a marvel that he got to have a father, but when he took a quick break from training, or when he found himself meandering back to the home that he and his father now shared, he realized that his mind focused on one aspect of that marvel. His father had been a _Hokage_.

His father had been one of the strongest ninja's in history, had been the wielder of a thousand jutsu's or more, and was the one man that every member of the fire nation revered.

It was startling to Naruto's normally highly overactive mind. It made him pause made him want to sit and study the situation like Shikamaru might. One thing did always make itself known to Naruto when he thought about it though.

This made him even _more_ determined to be Hokage someday.

Nobody could dispute his awesome ninja skills once they all knew that the Yondaime was his father. Once they knew that their hero was the outcasts father they'd all feel different about him. Every eye would look at him different, every chin would set at a different angle, and every mouth set in a different emotion. It would be different.

Naruto didn't really think he cared about that though. He didn't need the villagers to know his heritage to treat him different. One day he'd show them his power, and then they'd understand that he loved the village just as much as they did, and that he was just as much a part of it as them.

This battle would be a step in that direction. All that Kakashi-sensei and ero-sennin had ever taught him would be put to the test. He knew he was ready for it.

He'd make his heritage proud too, now that he knew he had one. He'd show the blood of his father, and his mother too he supposed.

Naruto pursed his lips. "What was Kushina like?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Minato had been tracing the grain of the railing's wood, waiting in silence for the firework show to start. He and Naruto had wandered out of the busy festival place, Minato finally able to take off the hood that he had been hiding himself behind. He tried to think very hard at Naruto's question.

"You can call her Okaasan," was the first thing that he could think to say.

"It almost doesn't seem right," Naruto murmured back. He didn't feel comfortable admitting it either.

"You may not have known her, but she was still your mother, still the woman that loved you more that the world itself," Minato caught a clot of emotion catching itself in his throat as he spoke, and closed his eyes briefly.

The kid still had trouble calling him Otousan, most times opting for some sort of rude 'old man' phrase or the like. He figured they'd get there eventually, as long as they lived through the battle that the whole village was waiting with baited breath for.

Minato opened his eyes, smiling at the memory of the woman he had devoted himself to. "What do you want to know, Naruto?"

Naruto raised a hand to trace the symbol of the Leaf on his hitae-ate, and tugged on one of the long ends of the band before responding.

"Did she like raman?"

Minato stuttered a laugh, surprised. He swung his head to look at Naruto, his eyes glowing. Another short bark of laughter cut the quiet air.

"No," Minato said "She thought it was the foulest idea ever, a completely unhealthy meal that benefitted only the chef."

Naruto grinned but didn't say anything. He dropped his hands back to his side.

"She'd still go with me though," Minato continued, his mind almost sank into memories of the past, but he pulled himself out of that trap before it could, instead reading his memories like the stories they now were. "When there was an opportunity for her to be out and about in the village, she's sit at Ichiraku's with me, order a bowl of pork raman, and then pretend it was the foulest thing on Earth."

"Pork raman?" Naruto questioned "Awesome."

Minato nodded "She'd finish the bowl every time too, even drink down the broth."

Naruto laughed jovially, letting himself imagine the woman that sat next to father, protesting the noodles even as she ate them.

"What was her favorite color?"

"She didn't have one," Minato replied, he winced a little when he realized how much he hated using the past tense. "She hated brown though."

"Brown?" Naruto deadpanned "What kind of grudge is that?"

Minato shook his head some, grinning wryly "Said it was the most uninteresting color there could be."

Naruto hummed and sat his head back in his hands, his wide eyes reflecting the stars happily. He wanted to know the little things about this woman, the things that only mattered to people that were close to her. But, he figured he's have a lifetime to learn about them from his father.

Minato almost felt cheated when he thought about Kushina. Abandoning the most obvious reasons for this, losing her, losing time, and losing their son for years, there were the other things, the ones that burned in his gut when he thought about them. Not being able to be with her when she passed, that was perhaps the worst.

When he talked to the people that realized who he was and what had happened he knew they didn't really comprehend what he was experiencing, Yondaime supposed he really didn't care if they did.

He knew they just didn't understand. For him, it was like Kushina had just passed. He hadn't had years to get over the village's tragedy, when he woke he knew that time had passed, just like he had told the Hokage, but it wasn't as if he had lived that time. When he 'woke' in the present it was still as if Kushina had passed away only yesterday.

If he lived through the battle he would mourn her the way she deserved, with all the respect and dignity that her life demanded.

His son was a lot like Kushina, even though he knew everyone saw the similarities between he and his son more. Her drive was within him. Minato had always liked pushing the limits, seeing what he could do and how long he could do it. However, Naruto had Kushina's _drive_ to make his goals succeed.

Like what he had told him after they unpacked a few boxes at their apartment.

"I always said I would become better than the Yondaime," Naruto had told him. He had acted like he expected Minato to scold him for this, but it only made Minato proud.

Naruto had told him about his want to be better than he, Minato, had ever been, because he saw Minato as the highest level of skill and power that the village had ever had. He'd told him about how he'd pledged that even as a kid, hated by the rest of the village.

"Naruto," he murmured, digging inside the summer robe he had decided to wear to the festival.

"Hm?" His son's care free smile directed his way, and widened with confusion as he watched Minato's actions. "What're you doing?"

"I have a present for you."

"Ah!" Naruto leapt to his feet immediately "A super fantastic secret family scroll that you're passing down to me, one that contains all sorts of cool and powerful jutsu?"

Minato couldn't stop himself from grinning. Naruto had far too much energy and imagery in him. Minato supposed, as one half of Naruto's genetics, that he was partly responsible, and he smirked at Kushina being responsible for that as well.

He flicked his hand in Naruto's direction, sending a medium sized object through the air.

Naruto caught it…and then deadpanned.

"A book?" he said "Seriously, old man?"

Minato felt his limitless patience test itself, but just grinned back at his brat.

"You'll find a lot of great things in that book, Naruto."

"Tales of a Gutsy Ninja, huh?" Naruto said, weighing the book with his hand. "Least it's about Ninja."

Minato laughed, imagining the look on his face if he ever did actually read it.

Naruto huffed and tucked it into his own brightly colored festival robe. It wasn't important to him now, but Minato felt a swell of mischievous anticipation for when Naruto finally realized how important it was.

Minato walked over to Naruto's side, laying one hand on the boy's shoulder, and the other on the bridge rail.

"Finally!" Naruto exclaimed as the sky began to light up in brilliant displays of light.

The fireworks had finally started.

Minato had never felt more blessed. His ears rang with echoes of Kushina's laughter, and he smiled as color flashed across the sky.

X-_X-_X

Shikaku resisted the urge to groan in exasperation, deciding instead to upturn the sake cup he was holding into his mouth. He followed the drink with a glare that would have made most men cower.

Well, most men weren't his wife.

"Don't give me that look, Nara!" She growled out at him. She planted her hands firmly on her hips. Shikaku supposed his wife didn't mind dragging him away from a much needed drink and into the busy crowded street of the festival. Seemed to be her specialty, really.

"You're supposed to be spending this time with your family!"

Shikaku scratched the back of his head, avoiding locking eyes with the incensed woman. He spotted the easily shadowed, slouched form of his son standing to the side and behind his wife.

Lazy grin affixed firmly to his face.

"Tsk, traitor," he muttered. The grin widened on Shikamaru's face, though Shikaku doubted he heard his statement with the crowd that swelled up around them.

"I have important work to do, woman," Shikaku waved a hand through the air, sending his sake cup to the ground, a splitting crack widening itself through the ceramic.

"Oh please!" Yoshino seethed. "First you had to look like a dirty, grungy, mongrel and refuse to where something decent!"

Shikaku lazily eyed his normal ninja garb; he didn't think it was dirty _or _grungy. After all, it's not like he forgot to clean off any blood or guts. He'd done that once, the resultant mess took _hours_ to work out.

"_And_," Yoshino didn't seem to have lost any steam "Now you abandon your wife and son and sit in a sweaty pit of men and destroy your liver?"

Shikaku was actually quite certain that Shikamaru retreating in to the crowd behind Yoshino was actually evidence of his son abandoning _him_.

"Now, now!" He said heartily, sidestepping Yoshino and grabbing Shikamaru's arm. "Of course not, darling," he said in a loud voice, smiling nervously at his still fuming wife. She eyes him suspiciously.

"Boy," he hissed in an undertone to Shikamaru "You help me get out of this and when your mother goes on her retreat at the end of the month, I'll make sure you don't have a single thing to do for the entire week."

Shikamaru sized him up briefly, but then nodded once.

"Actually," Shikamaru said, shrugging at Yoshino. "I wanted to go to the charm stall with you; Tousan said he'd let us go by ourselves."

Yoshino clearly didn't believe a word, but she did jump at the opportunity to get something she had been wanting for a while.

"You're going to go with _me_ to the charm booth?" she clarified, advancing on her son.

He nodded, once, after a long moment of thinking. The look he threw his father clearly said that he owed him.

"Yosh!" Yoshino exclaimed, her voice going shrill with girlish delight "Finally I can get you that motivation charm. Oh thank Kami I won't have a lazy, good for nothing son anymore!"

Shikaku smirked when his son was brusquely wheeled off with his mother.

"Now," he said, turning and sizing up the seedy bar behind him "Back to important matters."

Choza noticed both the instant the fireworks began, and the instant his longtime friend re-entered the bar. Shikaku shrugged lazily at him, slouching his way over to the table, grabbing the sake jug from Choza's hands and pouring himself a glass.

"Maa," he said, his eyes darted around the bar quickly before returning to Choza "Women."

Choza half smiled at his friend's behavior.

"Where's Inoichi?" Shikaku murmured over the rim of his cup.

Choza waited a moment before responded, it seemed as if the larger man was staring intently at his friend, but his eyes were very clearly studying something over Shikaku's shoulder.

"Well?" demanded Shikaku.

"Entertaining," Chouza replied.

"Doko?" asked Shikaku. At Chouza's soft nod to the right Shikaku spun in his seat, putting forth an image of a very drunk man. He spotted the blonde he was looking for, and then slurred his voice as he raised it.

"Oi!" he shouted drunkenly "Inoichi!"

The Interrogation officer, and Yamanaka clan head, turned leisurely, waving a cup in their direction, the look in his eye just a bit too serious however. He was seated with four other men, two of whom were well on their way into a drunken stupor, the other man didn't have a drink in front of him, nor did the woman clinging to his side.

"Ne, come celebrate the festival with me and my new friends!" Invited Inoichi. Shikaku scoffed and turned back to Chouza.

"Target?" he muttured.

"Hai," Choza returned, tracing a path of condensation on the table with his finger "The man without a drink is a chunin, works primarily back up on information gathering missions. Tsubarame Takaru."

"Eh?" grunted Shikaku "I know that name."

Choza nodded. "Inoichi wants us to join him at their table."

"Wait a second," Shikaku drawled "You got to this guy in the span of time that it took me to fight off my she-devil of a wife?"

Choza grinned, taking the opportunity. "Well, it is amazing what happens to getting work done when you aren't around, old friend."

"Tch!" Shikaku's eyes widened at the unexpected tease. "Whatever."

"Shall we join Inoichi now," Chouza suggested, standing and raising his large girth to his full height. "And find out was this Takaru is hiding?"

"Yeah," Shikaku said with a sigh "As long as there's sake involved."

X-_X-_X

"Ne, Sakura," Choji's booming voice said "That Furisode is pretty."

Sakura smiled back at Choji, whose cheeks were far rosier than they should have been. Alcohol had been primarily banned, but many of the bars along the town proper were still flowing with sake, and the villagers had taken it upon themselves to provide their own stock as well.

Sakura supposed that as long as there was no attack, there were no reason to stem the festivities. The village anticipated an imminent attack, but if there were anyone within half a day's travel of the village, then there would certainly be no frivolity.

"Thank you, Choji," Sakura said, indulgently. Ino hid a snort of laughter behind her hand, before tugging on Choji's much larger arm.

"Come on!" she insisted "Let's go see the fire charmers before the fireworks end and it gets flooded."

Choji agreed, naturally, and Sakura smiled softly to herself as she watched the pair lumber through the massive Konoha crowd. Sakura shook her head and then turned, running straight into Naruto.

She smacked the back of his head, growling "Watch where you're going, Naruto!"

Naruto deadpanned. "Was Choji hitting on you?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed. "Anyway, what're you doing?"

"Well," he scratched the back of his head "I came to find you."

"For what?" she asked curiously, not looking around when a villager jostled her shoulder as he passed. "Weren't you spending time with Yondaime-sama?"

"Had something to ask you," he responded simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Sakura-chan, you think Sasuke might be here if Orochimaru does attack?"

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. She had gone over the scenario a hundred times in her head, of course she had considered the possibility.

"Yes," she said firmly. "I think he will be."

Naruto sighed "Guess we'll have another chance to get him back, ne?"

Sakura studied Naruto quickly; his statement wasn't followed with the usual air of confidence or conviction.

"Don't worry, Naruto," she said, borrowing his usual bright smile as she did so "Like you said, it's another chance to get him back. We'll do our best."

Naruto's face shifted expression, and while it wasn't his usual lightheartedness, some of his usual conviction was seeping back into his eyes.

Naruto closed his eyes briefly, emotion shifting behind them. "Believe it," he murmured, a hand clenched at his side.

X-_X-_X

"Konohagakure has obvious flaws," Takaru scoffed, taking his arm off the woman's shoulders and leaning forward. His air was that of superiority, and very subtly Choza moved in between Takaru and the woman, effectively severing her from view.

"Maa, such a cynical man," Shikaku said. "Perhaps you think the Godaime is simple taking her time in stabilizing the village?"

The shadow-nin was giving the man an easy out in the conversation, making a statement so that the man could turn his somewhat treasonous statement into something else. However, Shikaku was hoping that the man would take the lackadaisical atmosphere for granted, and delve deeper into his feelings towards the village.

While Shikaku was baiting the man they were suspicious of, on the other side of Choza Inoichi was leaning close into the woman, and very slowly he laid his hand on the back of her neck.

"What is your relation to Takaru-san?" he asked very genially, "I've not seen you in the village before."

While it seemed like polite conversation, in fact the chakra that he was funneling through his jutsu and into the back of her neck was turning the polite conversation into a very blatant spoken truth serum.

"I serve Takaru-sama, I am his loyal servant," she said quietly and demurely. She was rigid straight in her chair, her eyes locked very firmly into Inoichi's.

"Why do you call him Takaru-sama, why do you serve him?" Inoichi probed further.

"Because he's going to become a great lord of the nation."

Inoichi stilled, his fingers pressing further into the woman's apex.

"Why is he going to become a great lord?"

"Because," a smile broke through the tempering effects of the jutsu "He's going to be rewarded for all his hard work, he's going to be rewarded by Lord Oro—."

Choza was unfortunately on the receiving end of a robust friendly slap from one of the two returning friends of Takaru. Their drunken behavior only exacerbated by their time spent by the barkeep. Choza knocked into the woman, bumping Inoichi's arm, and severing the connection between the two.

"Damn," Inoichi said quietly, off put by not being able to gather anymore intelligence.

Choza sent an apologetic look over his shoulder, and Inoichi slowly waved it away. The woman looked around in mild confusion, Inoichi able to tell that she was wondering where the last few minutes of her life had gone, not remembering what had happened.

"Well," Shikaku was saying as Inoichi turned his attention back to the table, the overly noisy atmosphere of the bar returning to him. "That is certainly an interesting theory."

Takaru only grinned, nodding.

Before anyone else could move, or say anything else, loud popping noises could be heard from outside the bar. For a few moments there was silence, and then many of the patrons erupted in loud cheers.

"Well," Takaru said standing, reaching around Choza to nudge his companion, urging her to stand. "We're meeting some friends for the fireworks."

Choza smiled, standing to wish them good luck.

Shikaku looked to the side of him where the other two companions of Takaru were joking with each other, paying no attention to their standing friend. "What about your friends here?"

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be fine on their own," Takaru scoffed at their drunken state. The woman was still looking as if she were upset or confused by what was going on, but then again memory lapses, no matter how small, were always troubling.

"Besides," Takaru's voice turned unnaturally cold. "They're not needed anymore."

No one member of the trio said another word as the two left the bar; simply watching them weave their way through bar patrons and leave. They did turn to huddle into a group; their voices intoning lower than the two men left behind would be able to catch.

"What'd I miss about Takaru?" Inoichi asked quickly.

"Nothin," Shikaku responded "He simply blathered on about how Konohagakure isn't representing the true beliefs of the ninja world anymore."

"Rather treasonous thoughts to be speaking in the middle of the bar," Choza suggested quickly.

Shikaku nodded once. "It leads me to believe he's confident, and if he's confident then that means that he has something to be confident about."

"And if he has something to be confident about?" asked Inoichi, his eyes narrowing.

"Then that leads me to believe that he's a spy, that he knows more than he's letting on, and that if there is an attack it's going to be soon."

"But there's been no activity within the forest," Choza began, rushed and nervous. Inoichi raised a hand to stop him.

"What's worse," he said, leveling his glance between the two "Is that by what his companion was about to say, and what she did say, I believe he's acting as an agent of Orochimaru."

The other two processed the words.

"Damn it," Shikaku swore.

"We must report to Lady Hokage," Choza said, the other two agreeing "She must know an attack is even more immanent than we feared."

All three men moved to stand, but before they could choking noises made themselves known from the other end of the table. They turned their attention into the smoky haze of the bar, to the men at the other end of the table.

Takaru's two companions were choking on what appeared to be nothing.

They began gasping for air, one of the two falling into a seizure on the ground. Concerned patrons began to surround the table, and Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza watched the spectacle in stunned silence as nothing could apparently be done to help then men.

"Are they friends of yours?" one woman asked.

Shikaku replied quickly "No."

"I don't understand," said a man, holding onto the head of the second choking man "There's nothing blocking their breathing."

Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza backed away from the crowd some, exchanging dark looks and watching as two previously healthy men died before their eyes.

"What could it be?" Choza began to ask.

"There!" Shikaku exclaimed all of a sudden, his ninja eyes tracking two fast moving objects. Choza and Inoichi whirled, watching as two unnamable objects effortlessly weaved their way through the crowded throng of people.

"We must stop them," Inoichi said. His long grey interrogation coat swirled around him as he sped into action.

They moved to the bar door and with a quick motion of Shikaku's hands they broke out into the street, trailing Shikaku's shadow to the ally beside the bar.

"What is that?" Choza asked. His eyes were adjusting to the dim lighting, and they weren't liking what they could find.

Half way up the building next to the bar was a white ferret, frozen with Shikaku's Shadow Possession. A second ferret was disappearing over the rooftop.

Shikaku approached it quickly. "A ferret summoning," he pronounced, and then he made quick work of the garments it was wearing "From Sound!"

"Ferrets are poison carrying summons," Choza stepped up beside his longtime friend, watching as the beast attempting to writhe and hiss at them. "That must be what happened to the men in the bar."

"Takaru needed to get rid of loose ends," Inoichi surmised. "He said they were no longer necessary."

"And the summons aren't Takaru's," Shikaku said, motioning with his chin to the symbol of the sound on their back "They'd have the symbol of Konoha still."

"There's already a network of spies in Konoha, serving Sound," Choza continued the train of thought, aghast.

"The network has to be Konoha-nin," Inoichi continued, sending the theory back around their circle "There'd be no other way."

"That settles it," Shikaku said, almost regretfully "Our mission is complete, we've been betrayed by men of our own, and we're in more danger than we thought. We need to report to Godaime-sama, _now_."

He released his jutsu. Inoichi spoke as he did. "Shouldn't we follow the summoning?"

"Choza, follow it…" Shikaku trailed of as the ferret poofed itself out of existence, ending its summoning. "Follow the one that got away, if you can. See where the network leads you. Inoichi and I will report in."

"Hai!"

All three took off at once, Choza up and over the rooftops faster than his gait should have allowed the other two off in the direction of Hokage tower. The fireworks were reaching their peak in the skies above them.

"On second thought," Shikaku said to Inoichi as they raced through the village "Alert Ibiki, and get a squad of ANBU to coordinate with Choza, I'll let the Hokage know."

"Is that the best choice?"

"We have too," Shikaku assured "I have a bad feeling about this."

Inoichi didn't say another word, forming hand seals and disappearing to cover the necessary distance. Shikaku would report to the Hokage alone.

The scar tissue on Shikaku's face tightened, shining morbidly in the light of the fireworks. Something very bad was on the brink of occurring.

Shikamaru watched the next moment, from streets below, as he sensed, then looked up to witness his father's shadow disappear over the roof tops. He took a moment to process, and then started a sprint though the crowded markets, ignoring his mother's shouts for his return, he only thought of finding Naruto.

X-_X-_X

"B-section?" the voice was a quick whisper, firm in its intent. The owner of the voice was Hyuuga Hanako, and he was the current squad captain in charge of watching the perimeter walls. He was a cautious man, not overly known, and the Hyuuga family considered him a main branch shinobi without much more potential left to him.

He was dedicated to his nation though, and his dedication was feeding him a worrisome thought just then.

Hanako thought something was wrong.

"Clear, taichou," was the response from B-section.

"C-section?" he continued down the line of sectors, all the responses the same. 'Clear,' was what each of his squad fukutaichous reported. It left him unsettled.

He peered out from atop one of their walls, his Byakugan gaze seeing more than just the deceptively calm night. He peered leagues out into the forest, seeing nothing more living than their sentries at their check points.

He drew back into himself, settling his gaze closer to home. "Are you alright, taichou?" asked Hyuuga Hana from behind him. He turned slightly, intent to reassure her, but then the unimaginable happened.

"No!" he exclaimed, his full attention back on the forest. Similar exclamations and reports were being radioed to him the next moment, all of his squads seeing exactly what he saw.

"Hana!" his second in command had straightened a moment before, she too saw what he did. "Send an alert to the office of Hokage…"

The second before his eyes witnessed their sentries, five hundred meters out, die instantaneously. One of the peculiarities that became immediately known was that their sentries at seven hundred and fifty yards were undisturbed, still patrolling their areas.

A huge mass began to make its way at unimaginable speeds, towards the village. An army was appearing right before Hanako's eyes. He checked to make sure that the village's barrier was still in place, and then drew a kunai.

"…we're under attack!"

X-_X-_X

Naruto and Sakura watched the fireworks end side by side.

Naruto was discontent though, his thoughts still tumultuous and as unnerving as they had been when he had first met up with Sakura to finish watching the fireworks.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sakura asked, concerned. She noticed his tense shoulders, and his clenched teeth.

"Nothing," Naruto replied, turning so that he was face to face with her.

Sakura raised a disbelieving eyebrow but didn't press the matter further.

"Ne….Sakura?" Naruto leaned further down, Sakura obligingly leaning forward so that she could hear him.

"What?"

Naruto didn't respond with words, instead he reached down and gently connected their mouths as he had watched others do on occasion.

Sakura froze, not able to believe or understand what Naruto was doing. She stared at Naruto, he had only pressed their lips together for a moment, and was already leaning away from her.

Naruto didn't look her in the eye; instead he glanced down "Gomen nasai, Sakura-chan."

"Naruto," Sakura put a hand on his arm and then proceeded as gently as she could "You know I don't consider us anything more than friends…"

However, shinobi did not have the luxury of extended personal interaction, because the next second the village around them erupted into chaos.

X-_X-_X

_**Thanks for reading! Sorry that this update took so long, there are several reasons for it. In apology I did make this chapter several pages longer than normal, so I hope that helps make up for it.**_

_**One of the reasons is I was finishing Naruto Shippuden, watching hours of episodes. I'm all caught up now, and I am positively certain there is no way I can make this fic more canon, lol. Also, for some reason college has been preoccupying me. Which is ironic because I began updating more regularly last year because college gave me so much free time.**_

_**At any rate, drop a review if you care to, I always really enjoy learning what the mood of the readers are towards each chapter, and where the story is going.**_

_**AnimeSiren**_


	12. Chapter 12

One Summer's Day

Chapter Twelve

_Enjoy_

X-_X-_X

Naruto hurriedly brought up a kunai to dodge the onslaught of shuriken spinning fiercely through the air towards him. The force of the impact threw him into the rough bark of the tree behind him, though Naruto barely felt the wood jut into his back. He had far more important things to focus on.

The owner of the shuriken was leering across from him. Bedecked in the Sound uniform he had skin the color of sour milk, and hair brighter than Naruto's own. He was taller than Naruto, and broader, but the next moment Naruto leapt forward all the same, undeterred by these facts.

Naruto shouted with effort as he slammed his leg into what he wanted to be the man's head, however the sound-nin raised an arm, blocking Naruto. Pain echoed up Naruto's shin, throbbing when he used that leg to land on, but Naruto didn't care.

"Damn it!" he cursed. He glanced around himself wearily. His eyes sought out Shikamaru immediately; the shadow-nin was involved in a conflict with two twin shinobi, one wielding fire, and the other water.

After the initial shock had reverberated through the village, Hyuuga spilling into the village to alert those in charge of the attack, Shikamaru had been beside him nearly instantly.

"We have to organize now, Naruto!" He had said, his normally lazy attitude gone, a rim rod straight tension replacing it.

Sakura's eyes had gone wide beside them "We're under attack?" she seemed surprised, as if what they had been preparing for wasn't what they were now facing.

Naruto had been slow to respond, his mind not just processing that the time to rise and fight was now, but it was also processing what had just happened with Sakura. It took effort to tear his eyes from the street of fleeing civilians, after a few moments he was able to respond to Shikamaru's words.

"Yeah," he had said, the shock finally wearing off adrenaline began to climb his spine, meeting his brain in a rush of chakra. "Grab Ino and Choji!" he had shouted "Sakura and I will get everyone else, meet by Aoi no Yama, we have to report to the Jonin in charge, quick!"

Shikamaru nodded, already anticipating the decision. He had made a fair few of his own on the way over, as was want of the genius laze. He calculated quickly where his teammates would be and then didn't spare Naruto a second glance as he had sped away.

Naruto looked back at the brute in front of him, hearing Kakashi in his mind "_Look underneath the underneath, Naruto!_" He tried to focus on what the sound-nin could be lacking. However the man was a veritable rock. His skin was harder than iron.

The sounds of the surrounding battle invaded his hearing, just like they had when the battle had first begun. It had been like clockwork, the strategy of the Konoha-nin. Naruto couldn't say for sure how the other platoons of nin were faring, but once the front line had been sent out Naruto's group had departed, the notably crafty group of younger ninja providing support in any manner or means.

Naruto's mind drifted back to the rock like attribute of his enemy's skin and then his mind settled on a solution. He had been fighting the man with Taijutsu; it was time to try something different. Time to use 'the underneath of the underneath'.

"Kage bushin no jutsu!"

Around the clearing clones appeared, all facing their enemy. Breathing in sync they took a defensive stance. The Sound-nin didn't flinch, or even seem startled. It was an attack that the boy had used on him already.

Naruto grinned.

"Naruto Ninpocho; Shihou Hapou Shuriken no Maki!"

All at once hundreds of shuriken were flying through the air towards the sound-nin. Naruto knew that it wouldn't be the normally devastating attack, but he wasn't looking for that, he was looking for confirmation of his hunch.

He took out a senbon, a weapon he rarely used, and he carefully watched the attack. The sound-nin was weary, but most of the shuriken barely affected his tough armor like skin. Naruto lowered his senbon defeated; the last of the shuriken fast approaching their target, Naruto was mist—

There! Naruto's eyes flew wide and he raised his senbon, leaping towards the Sound-nin. He was right! The shinobi's skin may be rough but it was penetrable when hit with a sharp object, specifically at a right angle, when the blade was perpendicular to the skin, just like his clone's shuriken, stuck in the sound-nin's right arm, then the armor could be penetrated.

Naruto let out a roar, the Sound-nin now alarmed looked up, helpless as Naruto bore down on him. Naruto leveled the senbon at chest height and then with every ounce of strength he had shoved it clean through the other man's heart. It was a clear kill.

The Sound-nin grimaced in disbelief, even as he died, his spirit travelling with bodhisattvas before he even met the ground.

Naruto turned quickly, already having too much experience in this battle to stay unaware for long. Within moments his eyes found his nearest comrade, Sakura, engaged in a rough battle, but winning. He turned to Shikamaru, the genius had both of the twins caught in his Shadow Possession, but hadn't destroyed them yet.

Naruto moved fast.

"Rasengan!"

"Thanks, Naruto," Shikamaru said rising, his eyes carefully evaluating the unmoving forms of the twins. "There wasn't a quick way to end them."

"Have any gotten through?" Naruto asked fearfully. They had taken it upon themselves to be the reinforcements of the front line in every sense of the word, making sure anyone that made it past them didn't make it any further.

Shikamaru stretched, shrugging. "Doesn't look like it."

"We should hurry around to the others," Naruto suggested, the sounds of Sakura ending her own fight nearly drowning out his words.

Shikamaru nodded "What a drag," he muttered, it was nearly dawn and he couldn't discern a tangible shift in either side's forces, they were in deadlock.

Naruto turned from him and hurried into the line of trees, Shikamaru following at a slower pace. As leaf and branch flew past his line of sight Naruto carefully evaluated their surroundings. He'd been caught in a wire trap earlier, and only Shikamaru's quick thinking and Sakura's strength had allowed him to save his life.

Quickly sounds of a conflict became apparent to them, and they hurried further ahead. When they broke out of a group of thick trees they met an unusual sight.

Hyuuga Neji and Akimichi Choji were teamed up, using a giant oak tree as their shield, and were defending against a small platoon of four sound shinobi. Naruto ran quickly forward to help them, using his knee to knock aside one of the shinobi via the man's face. He joined Choji at the bottom of the tree, Neji standing imperiously above them on a branch.

Shikamaru had remained where he was, carefully evaluating the situation. The sound-nin didn't look advanced, yet the Jonin Hyuuga Neji hadn't defeated them? It was an uncommon situation.

"Careful, Naruto," grunted Choji "All of them are trained in poison."

Naruto turned a confused eye to the smirking shinobi in front of them; they didn't look dangerous however they did have belts full of odd scrolls and bottles around each of them. The one Naruto had hit was glaring at the orange clad ninja, and pulling out a crimson jar.

"That's what he used on me," Choji admitted quietly. Naruto realized for the first time that the Akimichi was leaning heavily on the tree, and a sweat was apparent on his forehead.

"You okay, Choji?" Shikamaru called. One of the enemy nin turned to lazily look at Shikamaru but seemed to smugly decide that he wasn't a threat.

"Fine, Shikamaru!"

"War is no time for lies," Neji's imperious statement was the first utterance that the Hyuuga had spoken since they arrived. He didn't take his eyes off the enemy for a second, even to address his comrades. "The Akimichi needs quick medical attention; he needs to be taken back to the village."

Shikamaru's mouth set in a grim line. The stakes had been raised.

"You can assist at any time, Nara," Neji called up to him.

"Asking for help, are we Hyuuga?"

Neji set his mouth, and smirked "Never."

At once he sprang off his branch, launching into a series of taijutsu moves, sacred to Hyuuga teachings. Shikamaru leapt from the other side and caught the shinobi standing at the end of the group in a quick Shadow Neck Bind.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Naruto's clones poofed into existence at the other end of the enemies and after a few took a defensive stance in front Choji the others launched a Naruto Rendan barrage at the enemy. They didn't last long, the enemy using sharp, needle like weapons to dispatch them.

Neji very carefully shut down the key tenketsu in the body of the shinobi that Shikamaru had in a bind, and after a moment where he was nearly hesitant to even touch the poisonous man, he ended his life.

Shikamaru landed at Neji's side, and they stood shoulder to shoulder facing the only sound-nin that Naruto was sending clone after clone after.

"Your laziness will kill you here, Nara," Neji warned quickly "Even their skin can be poisonous."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Since when do I ever face an opponent head on?"

"Kage Mane no Jutsu!"

Before the attack could reach their adversary the man had unrolled a scroll and all at once a tide of foul looking vapors travelled the distance, searching out Shikamaru and Neji.

"They aren't very good at fighting," Choji told Naruto "But everything on them is a poison."

Naruto made a dismissive noise "Don't worry Choji; I can take these weak looking shinobi no problem!"

The two sound-nin exchanged a look and together unrolled a scroll the color of grass, Naruto didn't wait to see what they did, but sprang forward into action instead.

"Poison Cocoon, Caterpillar Bite!"

The scroll launched out of the hands of the enemy faster than any weapon could, and Naruto stopped abruptly, half the distance between them and Choji. It spun around him and soon enough it had wrapped itself multiple times, blocking sunlight and the sight of the forest from Naruto. He was encased in a cocoon of the scroll.

"Shimatta," Naruto said to himself, he quickly used a kunai to strike the wall of the scroll, and it glanced off easily. Naruto could hear Choji shouting his name from the outside.

"Kaiden!" Neji's voice rang with a baritone nearly as strong as his attack. Shikamaru didn't have too much faith on this working, however after Shikamaru realized that Neji was specifically tracking the chakra in their vaporous attack he was proved wrong as the poison was forced above the tree tops and into a dissipating demise.

Shikamaru paused and thought quickly. The enemy was obviously sensing that he wasn't about to approach them to attack, and Shikamaru wasn't going to suggest Neji use the gentle fist. Who knows what would happen if he got that close with two of them on the offensive. The best possible alternative was to fight them as they had the first, catch him in shadow possession and then finish him. But would they fall for that after having seen it? Even if they were such low rank?

Neji made the decision for him.

Shikamaru barely had a moment to blink as the pale eyed shinobi let loose an exploding tag. Both shinobi dodged easily, and as soon as they had Shikamaru was after them with his tendrils of shadows. The taller of the two took Neji's discarded place on the low branch, and Shikamaru saw him reach to take a small teal bottle of his belt. He refused to let him do so.

Shikamaru sent a senbon at the nin to cause a diversion and then half a second latter let exploding tags of his own imbed themselves on branches higher in the tree. As the wood exploded apart Shikamaru focused on using the new shadows to propel his forward, trusting Neji to divert the other nin, and guard his back.

It worked easily, and it became obvious that if these nin didn't have skill in poisons they wouldn't be more threatening than a konoha genin.

"It's safe enough to get close," Shikamaru said over his shoulder "These two are very weak."

Neji complied, and the next moment he had closed the tenketsu of the second before the man could even reach to uncork one of his vile concoctions. He was dead a moment later. Without a word spoken Neji dispatched the one caught in Shikamaru's shadow, same as he had with the very first kill.

They both turned at the same time to look towards Naruto's battle. Shikamaru took a deep and disgruntled breath when he saw what Naruto was ensnared in.

Naruto watched the walls of his scroll cage, and noticed when the ink appeared to begin to bleed off the paper. The ceiling began to bleed as well, and when a drop fell on the nape of his neck it became blatantly obvious to Naruto that it was acidic. It burned the skin it touched, and Kyuubi's healing became a painful procedure.

Naruto quickly summoned clones, and with their bodied surrounding him he was covered from the acid—at least for the time being.

Naruto had never had time for poisons. He had focused on his taijutsu, and on the ninjutsu that pervy-sage had taught him. He didn't know quick ways to circumvent his situation; he only had a brash knack for busting his way out.

The outer clones dissipated in clouds of smoke. The acid ate them away. Naruto knew he needed some sort of plan before the next closed were banished and left him open and vulnerable.

If only he had help. That thought caught him up quick, and before he could think out a whole plan he had bitten his thumb, and slammed his hand to the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Gamatatsu and Gamakichi appeared in a swirl of leaves, smelling of toad oil. When it became obvious to them that they didn't have enough room to strike even the lamest of poses, Gamakichi turned a disgruntled, squished eye to Naruto.

"What th' hell you want?" he demanded.

Naruto ignored him, and not purely for the necessity of speed.

"Gamatatsu!" he said quick "I need you to spray outward when I tell you!"

"Haaah?" Gamatats's slow response wasn't comprehended by Naruto; he had shoved himself behind the toad (knocking a hand into Gamakichi not quite by accident) and had laid his hand on the toad's back, ready for the attack.

"On my count!" yelled Naruto as the second layer of clones disappeared, leaving only a few between them and the acid. Naruto gathered his chakra and closed his eyes briefly.

"Ichi-ni-san!"

On the count of three Naruto focused his chakra into Gamatatsu's, and the effect was devastating. The remaining clones were blown away by the barrage of water that spewed forth from the toad's mouth, and with it the wall of the scroll buckled. Fresh air flooded their senses and after a few more moments they saw the entirety of the scroll cage fly backwards, knocking into the shinobi that had cast it.

Shikamaru and Neji hadn't watched the spectacle with any sense of shock; their training gained them more than that. So after watching their teammate emerge unscathed they were on the enemy within and instant, and by the time Naruto had taken full stock of his surrounding they had the enemy tied as well.

Shikamaru grinned at the Hyuuga, letting enough smug attitude leak into it that he was gratified with a glare in return, however his gaze caught a disturbing sight over Neji's shoulder. Choji was crumpled on the ground.

"Choji!"

Naruto spun around at Shikamaru's shout, and then raced to his comrade's side. He was unconscious.

"He doesn't have much time," Neji assessed as he and Shikamaru arrived besides Naruto.

Shikamaru cursed. "We have to get him to a medic."

"We can't spare someone to run him back to the village," Neji said, his unconcerned mentality put Shikamaru on edge, but it was the truth. If Neji left the area it would leave his post open if anyone slipped past the front, and Shikamaru needed to stay by Naruto's side as he ferreted from person to person, reinforcing the line.

"Check if there's anyone close," Shikamaru said, his eyes assessing Choji quickly.

"Byakugan!"

Neji had just let his bloodline limit rest, but he called it forward once again all the same. His expert eyes swept the forest and he replied in a terse voice. "There's an ANBU unit two hundred meters. They appear to be heading towards the front. We can intercept them."

"Good," Shikamaru replied "You can bring Choji and the sound-nin to them; they can make sure that Choji's brought to the village with the prisoner, they'll want to study the poisons."

Neji nodded once "Don't think this means you can order a Jonin around, Nara."

Shikamaru smirked, but turned his attention back to his friend. He laid a hand on Choji's forearm. "_You'll be fine_." He said it to himself, though whether it was to will his friend on or to reassure himself he didn't know. "_Troublesome._"

"C'mon, Naruto," Shikamaru said rising "The sooner we check the line the sooner we can send a report to the Hokage, she'll be waiting."

Naruto nodded resolutely. He briefly watched Neji put Choji onto his shoulder and speed into the trees, the enemy shinobi unconscious and carried by ropes before he turned in the other direction and disappeared into the early morning shadows with Shikamaru.

X-_X-_X

"Shizune, I need a report," the Hokage's demand was brusque.

The Hokage, her retainer, the Kazekage and his siblings, and a squad of eight ANBU warriors were all on top of Hokage tower. Tsunade had refused to remain below, her eyes needed to see her village, to look at the scale of what was happening to her people.

The Kazekage was standing nearly as statuesque as the ANBU. His eyes were narrowed and wisps of sand circled the air around him, testament to his frustration. He had already seen the devastation of a ninja village; he was hesitant to witness it a second time. When the Hokage's retainer hurried forward, his eyes followed her.

"We've been lucky so far, Tsunade-sama," she said, Ton-Ton clutched fiercely in her arms. "Reports suggest that casualties have been minimal, however all major trauma surgeons have been called on at the hospital, and we're taking in more wounded than expected."

"The front line?"

"Jonin commander Nara Shikaku is launching an impressive offensive," Shizune continued, her eyes were looking imploringly at Tsunade, but for what reason the woman didn't know. "The attack that he and the ANBU captain-commander organized caused Sound's warriors to funnel into a bottleneck, Nara-taichou is making an effort to surround them fully as we speak."

"That's great!" exclaimed Temari, the shine in her eyes not sarcastic or faked. She swung her heavy fan around and looked at the others expecting them to share in her joy. However her smile fell, it couldn't be that easy.

"After what happened to Suna you think they'd allow themselves caught this easily?" Kankuro asked allowed, his painted eyes looking fiercely to his brother.

"No," Gaara replied shortly, an agitated swirl of sand jumping around his ankles "The force they exerted over our home was vast."

"Suna would not have been defeated easily," Tsunade readily agreed; her tone harsh.

The Kazekage nodded "Something has gone horribly wrong."

Tsunade looked sharply to her aid, "Pull Nara Shikaku back from the battle, I want him at my side immediately, and fine Yamanaka Inoichi, I want to know what he's gleaned from those that the Interrogation Unit have been studying."

"Yes ma'am!" Shizune bowed, and disappeared quickly. The day was quickly turning muggy, the dawn rising hurriedly around them.

Tsunade's eyes shifted slowly to the ANBU nearest to her, and as if sensing her look his porcelain mask turned the smallest fraction, the opening rays of dawn glinting off the wild markings of the fox.

"I'm going to pull Shikaku and his men back a ways," she said shortly, her tone leaving no room for argument, the Sand siblings watched her quiet exchange with interest, shrewd eyes taking note of every word. "I want you to lead a black ops. assault against their forces, we either need to burn them fast, or reveal their hand faster."

"You intend to send your elite at the enemy?" the Kazekage questioned before the stoic warrior could respond. Gaara's tone wasn't reproachful, only calculating.

"It's the best option Konoha has at the moment."

"I agree," Gaara replied "Except for one factor."

Tsunade turned, a short blue smoked explosion by the village walls not deterring her glance. "Which is?"

"Wind country's hidden village is here," he said, the slow guttural quality of his voice greasing easily over his words "Suna's remaining forces have healed within your village, and are ready to fight against those that have destroyed our home."

"As Hokage," Tsunade began "I cannot abide—,"

"It is logical," Gaara said "We will approach Sound's line, and we will fish out whatever they're hiding, and you will keep your elite back, and wait to counter _their _counter."

Tsunade was paused from making a decision when Jiraiya appeared beside her. "No one's made it past our forces," he said without preamble.

Tsunade expected his to continue, and furrowed her brow when he did not. "I have been able to see that for myself, Jiraiya."

His face didn't waiver with her sarcasm, something else was building behind his eyes. "Our walls should have been taken by now, Tsunade, something is wrong."

Tsunade looked from the white haired man, her longtime comrade, to the ANBU near her, and finally then to the Kazekage standing across the roof from her. "It seems our best idea is to have you lead your assault, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara inclined his head to her; however his next words were addressed to his blond sibling. "Temari, rally or men. Bring them to the city gates and I will lead them myself."

Temari swept out her fan in one smooth moment, and was seated upon it the next, flying more at ease than a bird, she made her way over the heads of the city towards the mountains behind Konoha, towards the barracks where Suna's nin were housed.

"It seems," Jiraiya said quietly after Temari left, his gaze sweeping passed the cross armed Kazekage to the blond woman that he'd known for so many years. "That we are no longer fighting a battle for Konoha's survival, but for the very survival of the will of fire."

The porcelain mask of the fox glinted once more, and Minato agreed to himself and he turned to look out over Konoha. Whatever was coming, he feared it would test his will in a way that it hadn't been tested since he had seen the birth of his son, the destruction of his village, and the death of his wife.

**X-_X-_X**

_**This chapter is just ten pages long because I am writing the next in tandem. Chapter thirteen will be up in a couple weeks to allow some space. I do apologize for the long delay, however my life's getting turned upside right so that has to be a plus, ne?**_

_**Minato and Naruto will see a legacy only apparent to them, eventually, and we will see what Konoha has to retort. Thanks to all who read, and especially thanks to those that thought to drop a review, and share their thoughts!**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	13. Chapter 13

**One Summer's Day**

**Chapter Thirteen**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

Left, right, left, right, jump, duck, grab, jump, left, right, jump, grab, left, grab, right, jump, jump, jump…

The last thirty seconds of monotony was a breath of freedom to Naruto. He and Shikamaru glided stealthily through the trees, hurrying to meet the end of their defensive line. After the brief skirmish with the sound-nin Naruto let his senses carry him through the trees, leaving his attention to survey the forest around him, waiting for the next enemy engagement.

Samurai fought on open planes, drawn by honor and a sense of personal integrity. Naruto couldn't help but thank the kami that he was born shinobi. Shinobi fought from the shadows, they had no binds of honor, and they relied on more than just their will.

Naruto grit his teeth and spared a glance back at his partner. Shikamaru hadn't said much since seeing the unconscious form of Choji disappear through the trees. Naruto hoped that the ANBU were able to dispatch a shinobi to bring _both_ Choji and the captured sound-nin back to the village. Naruto knew that ANBU were capable of making severe choices; and he hoped, for both Shikamaru's and Choji's sake, that the ANBU hadn't chosen to forsake Choji in their efforts to get the poison-nin back to the village speedily.

Naruto didn't know what he'd do if it were Sakura, or even Kakashi-sensei, who was unconscious and left in the hands of another.

"Our line should have been broken by now," Shikamaru's coal like eyes flashed as he muttered the words loud enough for Naruto to hear.

"What?" Naruto demanded, he stopped himself from being cut across the cheek by a branch, and landed resolutely on a thick branch, turning to Shikamaru who landed beside him.

"It's been hours since the battle started, right?" Shikamaru scoffed, a hand balanced on his right hip. His lips were twisted in caustic irony. "Sound _destroyed_ Sand, quickly. Sand's battle was over by now."

"So?" Naruto countered, his shoulders hunching "Maybe Konoha is better at keeping Sound out of the village."

"No," Shikamaru's statement wasn't out of disregard to his village, or even bitter anger. It was out of cold logic. "Suna's built like a fortress. Konoha has always been stronger, but more open as well. It's a tradeoff. We should have seen our forces struggling by now."

Naruto's face tightened and he cut back a sharp retort. No matter the blind faith he had in the shinobi of his village he had a deeper faith, one bred over past experiences, of Shikamaru. "You think something's up?"

"I'm sure of it," Shikamaru scratched the back of his head frustratingly "There are so many possibilities…"

Naruto glanced around at the trees as if they might offer him an answer. He sighed, "I wish Kakashi-sensei was here."

Shikamaru only nodded once in agreement, the uncanny ability of the silver haired jonin to adjust to a change of any situation in battle (all the while 'cool and hip') was a trait they could have used just then.

"Let's go on," Naruto said brashly. At Shikamaru's skeptical face he continued "Look, we don't have many other choices right? We have a plan for what we're doing now, if something happens we can take care of it when it happens. We're strong enough for that, believe it Shikamaru."

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru smirked and trailed off, however he took to the trees again with Naruto; though he was still unable to shake the feeling of imminent problems coming toward them.

X-_X-_X

Hinata steadfastly tried to ignore Sai as she surveyed the forest around them. After having been ambushed by sound-nin trying to break their line she was understandable anxious. However, Sai's peculiar brand of conversation with the captured sound-nin was distracting to say the least.

"You know," the stoic boy was saying to the enemy shinobi boxed in an ink cage, stronger than any iron one. He had a thoughtful finger put to his chin "Many professionals agree that lack of love as a child leads to psychopathic behavior…I read it in a book."

Hinata sweat dropped and redoubled her efforts in surveying the forest. She'd have to allow Sai his quirks for now; neither of them could leave to bring the captured nin to the village for interrogation.

Suddenly, moving fast towards them, Hinata picked up two chakra signatures.

"Sai!" she called quickly, her normally soft voice cutting through his pandering "Two, due west; one hundred yards."

Sai didn't bother to show any change in emotion, he just smiled into the forest around them, taking a step back in preparation.

"Wait," Hinata murmured. Her eyes swept past trees, through them, past animals, around stone and boulder, and then they found what she was looking for "it's Naruto-kun and Shikamaru-san!"

"Hm," Sai rolled his eyes to look at the enemies. "You're in luck! You get to go to the village."

The enemies were gagged, and they were depleted of chakra but one with a particularly nasty bruise already sprouting on his face had enough anger to scream muffled shouts back at Sai.

"Now, now," he said, his eyes going into wide semi circles as he smiled "If you get the chance due try some of the village's dango, it's especially good."

When Sai chuckled and looked away from them he met Hinata's disapproving eyes, but their pearly quality had no effect on him. He shrugged at her and Hinata turned back to the forest, his mouth set in a thin line.

"Ah! Dickless-san!" Sai called merrily as Naruto's form burst from the trees. The other boy made an arc in the air before landing stealthily on the ground, a small cloud of dust rising from impact. Shikamaru followed the next second.

"Shut up, Sai!" was the only response Naruto gave as he took quick notice of the prisoners.

"What happened?" Shikamaru questioned Hinata quickly. He took note of the injury to her left arm that she was trying to hide, but a moment's glance into the quickly brightening sky told him they didn't have the time for idle chatter.

"Three attacked from the East," Hinata began to report quickly. Both of them ignored Sai's next statement to Naruto, and the blonde's violent response. "They were easy to neutralize, but they had unusual powers."

Shikamaru nodded "Go on."

"They made weapons out of condensation in the air."

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow in response to her, he turned to consider the prisoners. That was a trait that could be used well in the main force of any battle, why would a commander waste such power? Shikamaru thought hard about why anyone would send such ninja as an independent team. The bruised and alert prisoner stared unnervingly back at Shikamaru.

"How bad is your injury?"

Hinata's eyed widened, though Shikamaru scoffed. It didn't take a Byakugan to know when someone was injured.

"Eh? You hurt Hinata-chan?"

"N-no, Naruto-kun!" Hinata's face went red, and while Shikamaru smirked at watching it happen he glanced at the sky again, quickly. Something was bothering him, and his mind was connecting circumstantial facts, telling him they couldn't loiter here.

Shikamaru broke into the argument that had hatched between the two, Naruto pressing for Hinata to show him her injury, even though the knucklehead ninja could do nothing for it medically.

"How is it that it took the Hyuuga so long to notice the impending attack on the walls, Hinata?"

All three faces turned to look at him. When he received no response he repeated the question a second time.

"I-I don't know, Shikamaru-san," Hinata said apologetically. "I wasn't on the squad watching the walls."

Shikamaru waved away her apology; he already knew her answer anyway. But he wanted to make the question known. He was sure that more highly ranked shinobi were tracking that answer in the village now.

"What a drag," he muttered, then louder "And why would they waste unique abilities like those idiots have?"

Naruto followed Shikamaru's jutted thumb, his eyes landing on the prisoners. The bruised one was still watching the group, this time a smug glint was reflecting in his eyes. Naruto furrowed his brow.

"We should join the main attack."

Shikamaru nodded an agreement. "We don't want to be the last to know if anything happens, blindly defending the weak spots of the forest when the village could be in danger."

"But w-what about leaving our posts?" Hinata asked startled. The shinobi paused though, and listened to the wind rustle the leaves around them, making sure that they weren't being snuck up on. Hinata confirmed it a moment later with a quick observation of the forest.

"Our posts don't matter anymore," Shikamaru said dismissively "Not to the village anyway."

Sai was silent.

"Let's go then," Naruto said "The quicker we get there the better, ne?"

Hinata stepped up next to Naruto but he waved her back. "You should take the prisoners back to the village, Hinata-chan, and get your arm looked at."

Shikamaru stymied her protest, adding to Naruto's statement "The hospital may need you soon anyway, Hinata."

"Hai," before she could point out the problem of transporting the captured a puff of smoke indicated Sai's jutsu.

"My mice will carry them," he said simply, and after a moment of watching the mice overtake the cages, their bulk beginning to be carried across the forest floor by hundreds of mice, Hinata followed at a faster pace.

"Be careful Sai-san, Shikamaru-san….Naruto-kun."

Sai flicked Naruto in the forehead, leaping over him in a quick movement. Naruto turned angrily from watching Hinata's dissipating form. "Oi! Where do you get off? Asshole."

"The frontline is going to need us, Naruto," Shikamaru said, tightening his glove and arm bracers. "We need to be prepared."

"No need to tell me that, Shikamaru," Naruto said, his whiskers widening with his smirk "I'm prepared."

X-_X-_X

Shikaku appeared with his hand fisted over his chest; the salutation was a sign of just how deep the Nara had his mind buried in the battle. Kakashi appeared beside him, his lazy slouch much more expected than his comrade's respectable crouch.

"The Kazekage has just left for the front," Tsunade said in halting, clipped tones. Shikaku rose quickly, the flickering behind his eyes signaling his mind was already running through the possibilities.

"I noticed," Kakashi said; his tone offhand. "Do we have other villages fight our battles now?"

Tsunade ignored him soundly. Her gaze was on the Nara's stony face. "You're angry?"

"Well," Shikaku drawled "It is normally easier to lead a battle when you're actually _in_ the battle."

The ANBU at Tsunade's side chuckled, and Shikaku ignored the mad swirls of color on the man's face mask.

"I want you and Kakashi here," Tsunade said, the barely recognizable sound of hurriedly running feet drew the lady Hokage's attention to the other side of the roof. "I want you temporarily in charge of things."

Shizune appeared over the rooftop, rushing towards Tsunade as if hell hounds were on her heels.

"Here they are," she said, shoving the tightly wrapped package in her hand into Tsunade's hands. She was gasping in air, and Ton-Ton was nowhere in sight.

Tsunade moved the string wrappings aside and let the paper fall to the grounds, revealing what was inside.

"You're going to wear bracers?" Kakashi's tone was not only incredulous, but the raised eyebrow that was visible was mocking.

"Made of toad bone," Jiraiya called, landing beside the group. His clogs made a clear wooden note of noise, and then clattered as he began striding towards them.

"The only thing that withstand my force," Tsunade said, her voice rising haughtily "_These_ won't break like common guards."

A beat of silence, and then…

"You're going into _battle_?" Shikaku's voice raised loud, his displeasure clear in every way. "You mean to leave the village without a present leader?"

"I told you that you and Kakashi will be in charge of things," Her tone was casual; her eyes flashed "Temporarily."

Jiraiya put one hand to his waist; raising the other arm in a muscular pose. "I'll be with the hime-chan!"

Shikaku's eyes finally settled themselves on the robed man beside the two sannin "What about him?" he managed to wring the syllables out one by one "Are you taking him too?"

"I have my own business to take care of," It was obvious that it was Minato behind the mask, but Kakashi hadn't made acknowledgement of that until the next moment when he said:

"It's just like my sensei to not want to miss a fight?"

The mask shifted a fraction, but other than that there was no response from Minato. Kakashi believed the man to be smirking behind the mask; the thought made Kakashi's own lips twitch upwards in amusement.

"Jiraiya and I belong to a war that has long ceased to rage," Tsunade's words were level, though her gaze oddly avoided the faces of her men "We are going to this battle to put certain chores to rest. You have your orders. Obey your Hokage."

Shikaku nodded, looking as if he were fighting boulders weighing his chin down the entire time. Kakashi turned, hoping lightly onto the ledge of the building and peering over the side and at the village below. "Jyaa…" he said "Try not to get too roughed up, hmm?"

The sannin leapt over his head without a dismissive word, but Minato let his cloak trail over Kakashi's shoulder. The weight of its fabric left a clear message for the silver haired man to be careful. The motto he had learned as child reverberated in Kakashi's mind.

"_Look underneath the underneath."_

X-_X-_X

Naoya hadn't been a chunin very long. He had a couple years of experience, most usually as the backup guard on an escort mission. He'd subbed at the academy a few times, and he'd helped out with the weapon makers a few times too.

He'd never faced battle before.

A chocked cry of anguish proved it when Naoya narrowly avoided the off-the-mark shuriken of a nearby fight. He'd briefly participated in a couple of skirmishes when the battle began, but since then he'd attached himself to larger groups of nin, making sure to stay out of the brunt of the fights when they began. He didn't know where his commander was at the moment, but he didn't much care anyway.

Naoya's eyes scanned the hedge where he was crouched, and after he affirmed there wasn't anyone close by he turned and headed squarely back for the forest. His breath came out in anxious puffs, and his thoughts had trouble communicating with his mind.

He ran, branch by branch, all the while thinking that both his parents had been civilians, and that he should have just owned a Nikiyaka store like his old man. This death, this destruction, it wasn't what he wanted.

The branch swayed when he landed on it, harder than he had intended, and he rested a hand against the trunk. He slouched over to catch his breath. He could still hear the sounds of the shinobi battles being fought just a hundred meters back.

He looked over his shoulder. Years of academy training, genin training, and words of his comrades all urged him to go back to that battle. He was a Konoha shinobi, his place was in defense of his village.

Naoya slumped against the trunk, turning to look back into the heart of the forest. He couldn't hear fighting in that direction and he figured that going that way would save more of his skin.

But he was a shinobi right? He had a duty, right?

Naoya's eyes flickered from one direction to the other, from battle to safety. He clenched his eyes and gripped his hands against the trunk. With a strangled cry of desperation and nervous anxiety he made a quick choice and hurled himself in the direction of safety. He forsook his duty.

Naoya didn't make it off the branch though. A hand gripped the back of his vest and jerked him backwards. A man that he hadn't even sensed was standing there. Naoya's first thought was that a Konoha shinobi had caught him, but no, this man was an _enemy_. Naoya's hand flew out to steady himself; catching against a branch and drawing blood.

Naoya's eyes crept up the man's white ponytail and ended on the stranger's wide smirk.

"What's this?" the man said, watching Naoya back up into the trunk in fear. He tsk-ed as he saw that the Konoha-nin hadn't even bothered to draw a kunai. "You're not abandoning battle are you? Is this what Konoha teaches now?"

"N-no…" Naoya's stutter trailed off, his eyes going as wide as saucers when he watched the white haired man pull a small blade. It was humming with green tinted chakra. "A medic?" Naoya muttered in confusion.

"Not quite," the stranger replied. In the next moment Naoya stared down at his own chest in confusion, a scalpel was sticking out of it. It looked like the blade the man was just holding, but no that's not right….wasn't the man just holding it? Naoya had just enough life left to realize that the stranger had stabbed him, severing an artery, before Naoya died.

Kabuto let a gratifying smile steal across his face.

X-_X-_X

'_For Konoha,'_ Naruto's thought reverberated even to the farthest recesses of his mind. All around him were images of battle. They were beginning to cross abandoned battle fields on their way to the front. Dead bodies littered the forest floor around them, and iron decorated the trees like morbid ornaments. _'For Konoha,'_ Naruto repeated.

The ground was over saturated with blood. It made a morbid squelching noise as they crossed the area.

"There's too many of the enemy," Shikamaru muttered; his glance over the bodies "Where's all our dead?"

"One would think less of our men dead would be a good thing," Sai's eerie smirk tilted toward Shikamaru. "Why the long face?"

Shikamaru's eyes ran speculatively over the other boy. Sai was one person that Shikamaru had never brought himself to trust. His manner was off putting, and Shikamaru hadn't seen a single aspect of the battle off set the boy. He was uncanny.

"It's a drag," Shikamaru replied; his statement was customary and it gave away not a single bit of what Shikamaru was thinking.

"We have to hurry, Shikamaru," Naruto said, his gaze had swept across the area, but his body was reverberating with anxiousness. He wanted to hurry on to the front.

"That's the only thing that's for certain," Shikamaru followed Naruto back onto their route, the sounds of battle already making themselves known. "I swear I'm retiring when this is over."

Far ahead of them they saw a fireball take to the sky. Neither one was impressed by the jutsu. A ninja needed to be more discreet in battle. Both of them doubted the fire user would still be alive by the time they reached the fight.

"Naruto!" The scream was long and shrill; by the time they had whirled Sakura was already in front of them, kneeling and out of breath.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto's eyed widened "What's wrong?"

"Kabuto," she coughed, her breath was ragged. She'd been in a fight, and had been pushing hard to find them it seemed. "He's suddenly shown up. But something's wrong, the battle suddenly turned to chaos."

"Kabuto?" ground out Naruto. He clenched his fists in front of him, unresolved tension and anger towards the man stealing out across his face.

"Why did Kabuto cause such a commotion?" Shikamaru overrode Naruto "He was expected."

"I don't know," Sakura rose to her feet unsteadily, her bright eyes sweeping around the forest suspiciously. Shikamaru's anxiety over the simple nature of the fighting up until now swelled at a suddenly alarming rate.

"This has something to do with what they're planning."

Sai had been silent, and Sakura was only looking at Naruto and Shikamaru. Sai, however, was looking intensely at Sakura.

"We have to go then," Naruto exclaimed "To the front; to fight Kabuto."

Shikamaru hesitated with reservation; he didn't want them to wind up in a situation that was half unexpected. Though, his genius mind was already running through ideas at leaps and jumps.

"We have to!" Naruto repeated. He turned to Sakura "What's it like, what's the old woman said?"

"There haven't been any orders from Hokage-sama," Sakura said "The commands are coming down from Kakashi-sensei and Shikaku-taichou."

"My father?" Shikamaru dismissed his statement with a shake of his head. Stupid that that was the first thing that came to mind "What about the Hokage-sama though, does this mean she's outside the village?"

"The Hokage should never be exposed." Sai broke in suddenly. All of his customary facial expressions melted back into quick stoicism; his face looked suddenly paler than usual. Was he afraid of the possibility of someone taking advantage of the Hokage while she was outside of the village?

Sakura didn't have an answer, but the doubt in her eyes was enough to convince anyone that Shikamaru's guess was correct.

Suddenly Shikamaru's mind went white, his anxiety coming to its climax.

"Shikamaru, are you alright?" Sakura asked, afraid.

"They had to have been expecting this," Shikamaru's urgent statement was hardly above a whisper. His wide, suddenly decisive eyes turned to Naruto. "You're right, Naruto. We have to get to the front. _Now._"

Naruto nodded "The old hag will be fine, Shikamaru. Let's go."

Sai was the first one to leap towards the battle; an unusual amount of fire in his movements. Shikamaru's eyes never left Sai's profile; but he and the rest followed Sai without further comment.

**X-_X-_X**

_**I know. I am **_**so**_** sorry. So many of my fanfictions are behind at this point. Real Life hijacked me for a few months, I feel terrible. The only good news is the summer will be here soon, and I will certainly be able to write more. **_

_**Thanks for reading! I really do appreciate comments on what you may think about where the story line is going or any mistakes you may spot in the chapter.**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


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